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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29924118">Don't you know that Hades wears sleeveless shirts?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ammarantas/pseuds/Ammarantas'>Ammarantas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You need a big god (Big enough to hold your love) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alex is Thanatos, Alternate Universe, Carlos is a cat, Dating, Drinking, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Flynn is Hecate, Julie is Persephone, Luke is Hades, Mentions of Death, Mythology - Freeform, No beta we die like Sunset Curve, Reggie is Charon, Rose is Demeter, Swearing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:26:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>64,360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29924118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ammarantas/pseuds/Ammarantas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For the king of the Underworld, friendship and music were everything because until two seconds ago. Those were the only things that came closer to make him feel alive. But now he has heard her sing and he's pretty sure that friendship has ever made him feel like this.</p><p>Until she appeared and used music, the thing that was everything to him, to turn his existence upside down. </p><p>  <b>Mythology AU! In which Luke is the reluctant king of the Underworld and Julie is the modern Persephone who captures his attention </b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Mercer &amp; Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You need a big god (Big enough to hold your love) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2246793</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>166</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hola everyone! This is my first fic in like ages and my first fic on ao3 (I used to post in ff.net I feel like a dinosaur). I just want to let people know two things before we dive into the story.</p><p>First: as you read, this is a story inspired by greek mythology. That means I’m relying on what we know of this particular mythology to create a romantic story centered on Julie and Luke. I’m bending aspects of the myths, not retelling them in a faithful way and that means it’s not going to fit into what we know about the greek gods and goddesses.</p><p>Second: English is not my first language and although I’m confident in my skills (and the power of the mighty google docs) there might be some errors, I apologize in advance. This is also not betaed.</p><p>That’s it. I had a blast writing this so I hope you enjoy it!</p><p>The fic title is a spin on     Colter Wall's song: "The devil wears a suit and tie".<br/>The chapter title is from Lana del Rey's: "Young and beautiful".</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>     Before her voice there was nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Well, that’s not completely true, but he thinks that, in a way, it is the honest truth.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Before her there was actually a great deal of stuff, but he chooses not to dwell on that because what’s the point of all those centuries if there wasn’t something that made him feel like her voice is making him feel right now? </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Alive.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     So yeah, there was a lot before her, before he heard her sing. But it’s no big deal because being king of the Underworld is a role he never actually wanted and he’s never actually enjoyed. If anything, it’s something his parents forced him to do and for ages he stuck to his role while also feeling so miserable anyone would’ve thought he was one of the poor souls who resided in his kingdom.   </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     For years he did his job because there was nothing else to do. He didn’t know better and he tried to believe that his parents would be correct and eventually he would enjoy ruling over the dead. And even though he tried as hard as he could to enjoy his duties and being a son and a good ruler...</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     They were wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     They were so terribly wrong he still can’t believe humans actually think he’s an evil and vicious god. He’s actually quite chill about the whole ordeal, especially because after a couple of centuries other gods and goddesses started to work with him (No, they don’t work for him. He refuses to think like that. The underground is a band and he’s just the frontman… He’ll get to that later). </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     So, he wasn’t alone down there anymore, which meant he could delegate jobs and responsibilities and well, do nothing or close to almost nothing. He was doing the bare minimum and although it was what he wanted he wasn't really looking forward to spending all his free time down there. Doing what, exactly? Talking to the souls? No thanks. He might have some free time but he wasn't going to spend it there. That’s when he realized he needed to look for things to do which just proves the point that it’s not like him to really think things through and that’s one of the reasons he definitely shouldn’t be in charge of a whole kingdom of unfortunate souls but, alas he has a team and now he has nothing to do. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He’s a god with all the time in the world in his immortal hands and he’s bored to death. Great.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He was never good with staying put and standing still so, with his newfound freedom he does what he does best: explores and let’s his curiosity take him to new places. Places outside of his realm, which makes him congratulate himself on the idea of getting people to work with him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Now he gets to do what he wants and what he wants is to explore the world where humans exist before they go and visit him. He’s only ever known souls and figures it couldn’t hurt to know who they are before death takes them away. So he changes his godly appearance, his clothes and for the first time in his existence he leaves the only place he’s ever known. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He doesn’t let anybody know, the last thing he needs is his parents finding out what he’s doing and, besides, what good is being king if he doesn’t get to do as he pleases? He’s been playing the role of a rightful ruler all this time. He refuses to do it for a second longer, right now he will follow his own personal desires. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     His first thought once he steps into the human world is that the sun burns his skin and makes him feel like a foreigner, because back in his realm, there’s no such thing as this light. He’s a stranger in a strange land, and although the thought seems to be there to make him go home, he refuses to bow down to that idea. He’s going to explore this world; his mind is set to it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     After a while, the sunlight stops burning on his skin and instead makes him feel warm and welcome, therefore he ends up spending more time on land than in his own place. Why would he want to be in a grim, sad place when he could exist in a space where no one expects anything of him and he’s just one in a sea of people. He enjoys the anonymity; it allows him to be whoever he wants to be. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He still enjoys that privilege today.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     What he ended up doing is simple: he took the reins of his freedom and did whatever he desired, (something that became his motto and still follows till the present day). </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     For the first time in a really long time he doesn’t hear his mom’s voice in his head telling him what to do and, as a result he gets to be who he wants to be, without so many responsibilities and a little bit of freedom. He gets to develop a personality outside of being a god, of being a ruler, of being related to death and death only. He starts to get to know himself and explore and soon he’s drunk on freedom and new experiences, simply enjoying this world that is so foreign and so different from the place he has to call home.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Soon enough it becomes clear that the freedom went to his head too quickly and now the novelty of humans and their world begins to wear off. He starts to realize that even though he takes pleasure in this place, he doesn’t feel alive. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Does he feel pleased? Yes. He’s happy eating foods from all over the world, especially if it’s pizza and later, burgers. Outside his realm everything tastes different and he’s happy discovering flavors and indulging in gluttony from time to time. He never finds himself longing for the foods of the Underworld and even though he basks in different gastronomies, after a while meals start to taste the same.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Does he feel intrigued? Also yes. He has never really seen humans in their bodies, he’s only ever known souls who most of the time are not happy to see him. Naturally, humans intrigue him and he’s sure they will continue to intrigue him for a really long time because of their differences and similarities, he’s never met two people alike and that fascinates him. In his eyes gods are all the same, but people? They are fascinating and for a while the number one reason he continues to leave his kingdom.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     After a while, when he feels his wonder of the world dropping and when he feels he knows enough about the human race; he lets himself become closer to people. But never too close, never for a lengthy period of time and never revealing his real identity. Between female and male lovers he starts to understand certain things that make him feel decidedly ungodly. He feels no shame in that he might be a sinner but he has never left a bed with an unsatisfied lover. He has learned sex and the pleasures of the flesh and he takes pride in that.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     However, he has yet to learn about love or relationships. He’s not sure if he really wants to, if it would be a good idea. He’s a god after all and none of his lovers really know who they are welcoming into their beds. So all the thoughts about romance take the back seat for a while because he doesn’t want his head plagued with the thought that although he enjoys lovers and certainly takes pleasure in carnal things... </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     No one has made him feel alive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     No one has made him want to share his kingdom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     No one has made him think he wants someone to share his existence.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     So, to recap: has he ever felt alive? No. He’s never felt really alive. Not really. It’s not like he’s still miserable but he’s also not completely happy. He thought the freedom he had now would bring happiness and joy but after a while it was obvious that it wouldn't be the case. He’s not really complaining. He feels content with his experiences in the human world and is not completely sure what is missing so it’s easy to put his feelings aside and continue exploring what humans have to offer. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     The other gods and goddesses who inhabit the Underworld know by now what he’s doing but no one says anything and so he decides that he’s going to continue with his explorations. If anyone says anything he will play the king card and that’s it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     By now his adventures are less adventures and more simple days with few surprises. He’s grown to know this place as well as his own so instead of indulging in excess and reckless behavior he is now calmer and has a routine of sorts. That’s precisely why he doesn’t expect to find his existence taking a surprising turn of events.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     But one day, out of the blue, he hears a beautiful song and he feels instantly hooked. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Music. Human music. Not whatever perfect and pristine song Apollo plays for everyone back at Olympus. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     This is imperfect, has flaws and it’s completely human. And yet he had never felt anything like what he was experiencing in that moment. He wonders if this is what feeling alive feels like. He doesn’t really meditate or waits for an answer because he has things to investigate now. He needs to know everything about what these people are playing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     From that day on music is, without the shadow of a doubt, his favorite thing from the human world. It had such an impact on him that even now, after a couple of million years, he can still remember that day, the first time he ever heard music in a small town in what today is called Greece. He remembers the excitement running through his body, the way everything stopped around him and his ears oppressed every other thing that was happening at the same moment; as if they had decided the song that was playing was more important than anything else. He couldn’t agree more. That’s why he followed the sound like a moth to the flame and when the song was over he could feel moisture in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     For the first time in forever, he was moved to tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Incredible. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Nothing compared to that feeling. It was so intense it made him forget about the question he had just asked himself and the fact that he still had no answer for it. How it didn’t really matter after hearing that song because this discovery has opened a door of exploration and possibilities. It makes him feel good and that’s enough for him because so far nothing has ever come close to making him experience what he did just when he heard human music.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     His journey of exploration makes him want to learn and master everything related to music; so, slowly he starts to learn from human mentors and from the best of the best. His desire to learn surpasses everything he has done on Earth so far; he becomes a dutiful student and a passionate learner. Whenever he learns something new he can feel his excitement and admiration grow exponentially. It becomes his number one passion, something he never thought he would find. That’s why, eventually, when he feels like he has mastered enough he even goes back to the Underworld with every instrument imaginable, filling the grim place with something that brings joy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     That’s when two things happen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>     One: he starts to play in the Underworld</span>
</p><p>
  <span>     Two: he makes friends. Not human friends. Underworld friends. Godly friends.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He could never make that type of connection with people, mostly because it would be impossible for him to keep his identity concealed for a long period of time. He’s already overstretching it with the lessons he’s receiving. But, it also never crossed his mind to connect with the gods and goddesses of the Underworld and for a second he wants to slap himself in the face for being such an idiot. He was so preoccupied with his hatred of his chores and so relieved of having someone else who could take care that he never connected with anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Music is the thing that solves that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>      (</span>
  <span>If he really thinks about it, music is what stitches his existence into something that resembles a life well lived.)</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Music is the bridge that connects him with Alex and Reggie. Although those were not the names they had all those centuries ago and those are not the names humans know them as. However, those are the names that matter to him because they picked them themselves. Thanatos and Charon? He’s certainly only read of them in human mythology books and as far as he knows those tend to get things wrong most of the time.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     (They always get him wrong for example. So much for a cruel ruler, so much for being Hades and being related to death and decay. It’s been awhile since he’s thought of himself as king of the Underworld. He's Luke. He chose that name from himself the same way he chose his friends and his real calling in life: music!)</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     For the first time he develops bonds with someone in a real way, in a way that makes him feel grateful that there’s someone willing to share his love for songs and instruments and simply bond. Because yes, the instruments are what makes Reggie and Alex leave their chores for the first time since they arrived but what keeps them apart from continuing to do what they literally exist to do is the unexpected friendship they strike with each other. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     That is what actually makes him feel happy. Not music, not instruments, not songs. What makes him happy is that he found two people with whom he clicked. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He never really thought he would bond with anyone. If anything the description for his job made it seem like he was bound to be in solitude forever and ever but no. Again, he’s proven wrong and he enjoys that. Playing instruments and making music becomes not only an activity they do because they like, it becomes very obvious very quickly that they also use it as an excuse to hang out with each other and be whoever they want to be. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     In between teaching them what he knows and improvising, they get to know each other, the real selves they have to leave aside when performing their duties. Reggie is not the creepy ferryman everyone theorizes he is. He might be a little questionable, but Luke realizes that his sense of humor is the result of mostly interacting with recently deceased people so it’s clearly not the best place to get it from. And Alex might be a little sarcastic from time to time, but he gets that he’s supposed to represent non-violent deaths and what he really should represent is anxiety, because that god really exudes it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He knows they must also have assumptions and misconceptions about him and who he is, so it doesn’t really surprise him when of all the things they had assumed about him one of them was that he wouldn’t be passionate about something to the point that it’s the only thing he seems to have in mind.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “I mean, it’s not like you are really passionate about what happens here” says Reggie while they are having a break and Luke chuckles, because he cannot even begin to explain how much he tried and failed to be passionate about the whole king of the Underworld thing. If anyone would understand, it's the two gods in front of him. They are not his parents, (thankfully!) and so far they have been honest with each other. He thinks he can trust them with the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “How are you so casual about this? He’s not praising your skills as a ruler!” Chimes Alex and that’s when Luke realizes he’s right, not only should he explain himself but he must reciprocate and honor them by being just as honest as they have been with him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “I’m going to be completely real with you guys,” he says, touching his cithara for a second before actually looking at them with a soft smile in his face. “I don’t really care about this place. My parents were the ones who forced me here, I’m pretty sure they would regret it if they could see what I’ve done with it. I’m better just jammin’ with you guys.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     For a second no one says anything, the two boys clearly processing the fact that Hades, god of the Underworld and technically their boss, had just admitted he hated his job. He thinks maybe he shared too much, but then Reggie smiles playfully and opens his mouth to say the phrase that would definitely change his life forever: “You know what would pissed them? Us forming a band!” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Both he and Alex laugh at their friend's antics but that day a friendship (and a band!) is born and for the first time since he was crowned and ushered to his kingdom he’s happy he’s there. It might have sucked for a really long time, but now he has music and he has his boys and it’s very hard to find something to complain about. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     That was the day the Underworld stopped being so bad and started resembling something that could be home or at least a place he wanted to spend time in. (Granted, he still hated dealing with keeping the place in check and only wanted to play music, but it was definitely an improvement.) </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     That was also the day music and friendship became so intertwined in his head that he was unable to separate them from each other and so, thoughts of Reggie and Alex were always accompanied by a song or an instrument. Soon he even started to forget he was supposed to be the god of the Underworld. Reggie, Alex and music were the things that made him actually exist, everything else was far down the list. That’s why he even stopped wasting time in trying to feel alive, because he had music and his boys and that was it, he never needed anything else. And it was true. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     His existence ends up being different after that day. For starters, the guys move in with him and start using the castle as their house as well, which makes him feel less lonely. But meeting them also means no more roaming around earth alone and in search for small joys. Now he has his boys and given that he’s powerful enough he’s able to grant them abilities to go to the land of the living, accompanying him in his adventures. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Nothing will ever compare to the first time they saw humans and felt the sun in their skin. Nothing will ever compare to the happiness his friends experienced with a whole new world in front of them. And even though he had already experienced it, he felt like it was the first time all over again because now he had someone to share it with. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     No two days were the same and after a while no two decades were the same. He teaches them everything he knows about the place and, just like him, Alex and Reggie bloom under the sunlight and let go of the personas they had to keep up in the Underworld. Now they can be whomever they want and Luke could not be happier to share this experience with his brothers in arms. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     It’s because of them that he doesn’t mind actually caring about things down in the Underworld. If anything, it’s because of their bond that he starts to sort of enjoy things down there. It seems very ironic to him that while he’s the god of death he actually resembles something else entirely. He knows Hecate thinks so but alas, he’s finally doing his part around the Underworld and so no one can actually complain, even if he indeed seems less and less grim and more and more altruistic. But hey, he tried to warn his parents that this wasn’t for him and they didn’t listen, so now they have to put up with the fact that he is the god of death.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     Through the centuries, things in the human world change and Luke’s there to witness everything, always accompanied by Alex and Reggie. As civilization moves forward and there are new advances in music, they do their best to keep up with everything musical but aside from that his two friends even develop other interests. Not him though, he remains strictly interested in music and disciplines related to it. However, he enjoys seeing his friends happy and was always there to listen or accompany them in whatever they wanted.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He was there with Alex as medicine advanced and they found a name for what he tended to experience. He could remember very clearly the tears of joy on his friends face as he was finally able to put a name to it “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m just anxious”</span>
  </em>
  <span> and although that didn’t fix everything, it was a step forward. Now wailing on the drums was not the only thing he could do to manage his emotions; there were strategies, exercises and simple techniques he and Reggie also learned to help their friend when he needed it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He was also there when Alex met Willie, the young soul of a Native American soldier who lost his life in WWII. From afar, he saw them bond and develop a friendship of sorts before falling in love quietly, clearly afraid of breaking rules. Alex was right about being afraid because such a thing had never happened down there, but Luke was the boss of this place and if he was going to use his powers for something, he was going to use them to bring happiness to someone who had brought him happiness in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “How did you know…?” Alex asked, voice shaking in disbelief and clearly very close to crying when he found out that Luke had granted Willie his body back and the ability to leave the </span>
  <span>Asphodel Meadows</span>
  <span> walk around the realm as if he were a god. He shrugged because by now his friend knows that nothing happens around there without his knowledge but is clearly so surprised and excited he has forgotten about the fact, which Reggie is quick to say out loud, making everyone, including Willie, laugh. “I don’t know how to thank you. I’m not even sure what to say!” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     “You don’t have to say anything. You are a great drummer and a great friend. You deserve to be happy, I want you to be happy!” Luke explained just as his friend wrapped him in a hug. This felt just like the sun, warm and with a tingly sensation on his skin than made him smile wide. He meant what he said. Alex deserved the world and Willie clearly was that for him. Even though his powers had limits and because of that Willie could never set foot again in the human world, they were happy. Luke had never felt such fulfillment in his powers until now. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>     He was also there for Reggie, who behaved just like Luke had those first times in the human world with the slight difference that his friend, even after decades and centuries of roaming the Earth, still felt drunk on excitement. Reggie wanted to eat the world and in many ways he did. Out of the three of them he was the one who jumped from field of knowledge to field of knowledge. He learned everything, from different languages to zoology and in between he learned all he could about the skies and the seas. He often picked the brains of the souls he transported and interrogated scholars and masters of whatever field he was interested at the moment. If Luke was dedicated to music, Reggie was dedicated to learning everything he could. </span>
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  <span>     His personality, dorky and sweet at the same time also charmed humans to no end. Just like Luke, he felt fascinated and intrigued with humans and once Apollo made it very clear that no matter how many instruments he mastered he would never be worthy of a god he took refuge in the arms and beds of many people; going back to his sweet and happy self. </span>
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  <span>     Personally, Luke wanted to have a couple of words with Apollo, but Alex stopped him; “He’s a dick!” Screamed the blonde and while both his friends agreed and also hated the god, Reggie said one of the most amazing sentences he ever heard, poets and intellectuals be damned:</span>
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  <span>     “It doesn’t matter because I have something he’ll ever have: you guys. You guys are my family!”  </span>
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  <span>     He had found his own little musical family in the most depressing place. He felt like that achievement put everything else to shame.  </span>
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  <span>     Nowadays happiness was never the first thought that crossed his mind and not even music was, it was a silent thank you to whoever was in charge of his destiny for having him found his boys. After that, his thoughts would be drowned by a new song or a new sound he wanted to share or polish. But his family and their happiness were first to him. </span>
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  <span>     Well, that statement was true until a second ago, when he heard that voice. </span>
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  <span>     For the king of the Underworld, friendship and music were everything because until two seconds ago. Those were the only things that came closer to make him feel alive. But now he has heard her sing and he's pretty sure that friendship has ever made him feel like this.</span>
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  <span>     Until she appeared and used music, the thing that was everything to him, to turn his existence upside down.</span>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>If you want to chat, I'm also on tumblr, <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> here</a> is my account.</p><p>While writing this fic I created a playlist of songs that I think capture the essence of the story as well as Julie and Luke's personalities here. If you want to listen, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> here</a> is the link!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Be still, my foolish heart, don’t ruin this for me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome to another chapter, hope you enjoy it!</p><p>Chapter title from Hozier's: "Almost (Sweet music)"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     He finds the whole situation quite funny, really. </p><p>           </p><p>     It was Reggie’s idea to go out on a Friday night, he wanted them to check a new bar that started to hold open mic nights a few weeks ago. He was introduced to it by Kayla, a girl he started to hang out recently and both him and Alex know part of why Reggie wants to go is to hang with her, but the promise of listening to music and enjoying a couple of drinks is too good to pass. </p><p> </p><p>     So they go to Eats &amp; Beats and look, Luke had plans but none of those included arriving almost at the end of a beautiful song, especially if said song was performed by a gorgeous girl, who had the most beautiful voice he has ever heard. Holy shit. </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t even think. He can’t even move. He just stands there feeling more like a lame human than the powerful god and talented musician that he knows he is. It’s like she has him completely under a spell and the only thing he can do is just listen and stare like a complete idiot. Something that she clearly notices because as she plays the last notes on the keyboard, she sends a clearly amused smile his way. </p><p> </p><p>     He gets lost in that smile, so soft and sweet it’s invigorating. He gets so lost in the gesture that when he snaps out of it, the song is over and she’s no longer on the stage. That moment lasted an eternity and simultaneously barely enough seconds for his liking.</p><p> </p><p>     He has many questions but the most important ones revolve around knowing who this girl is and why does she sound like an angel. He needs to know, urgently.</p><p> </p><p>     He’s still standing in the same place thinking about her when Alex’s hand starts to guide him to a booth occupied by Reggie and beers. He can feel a playful smirk in the blonde’s eyes and he knows he should get his thoughts together before they start making fun of him because the thing about being immortal is that jokes will last forever, centuries be damned. He’s not planning on being mocked by his friends forever at least not for this. </p><p> </p><p>     The looks he receives from both of them makes him think: was he exaggerating in regards to that girl's voice? If time has given him something is the opportunity to listen to a variety of people through the ages. He has listened to everything and some more so… No. No. He’s not exaggerating. He had only heard the last part of the song but it was pristine and beautiful, if he had heard the whole thing he probably would’ve lost his sanity. He had a small taste and was already losing it. </p><p> </p><p>     That girl was the voice of an angel; of that much he was certain.</p><p>     She also looked like one too. </p><p> </p><p>     While his thoughts obviously latched on the musical aspect first, he wasn’t blind. She was beautiful, incredibly so. It was brief but just like her voice, her looks made her stand out and he memorized some of her physical attributes: her bouncing curls, marching at the beat of their own drum made him smile, her brown skin so warm and smooth he wonders what’s like to explore it and lastly, the passion and fire he saw in her chocolate eyes. He recognized his own fire in them. </p><p> </p><p>     The smile he was sure was meant for him was only a cherry on top. </p><p> </p><p>     “Something you wanna share with the class?” The smugness in Alex's voice could fill the place, so he takes a sip of his beer and flips him. Reggie just laughs at the whole thing and orders onion rings, perhaps anticipating that they need food for this kind of situation. “You can’t stall this forever you now, we literally have all the time in the world and you know it.” Although he’s completely right, that doesn’t stop Luke from giving him a wet willy. His friend makes a disgusted face and mutters a complaint about it, saying he can’t believe he’s the king of the Underworld.</p><p> </p><p>     Honestly? Luke also can’t believe it but that’s beside the point, he’s not going to state the obvious.</p><p> </p><p>     “What is there to say? You saw me there. If I needed to breathe I’m pretty sure I would have forgotten how to do that!” He goes straight to the point because even if he wanted to let the situation slide he knows his friends won’t let him. Also, he’s also not entirely sure he wants to let it slide that there’s a woman out there that has him under her spell because she enchanted him with her incredible voice and beautiful looks. Even though he doesn’t know her name he does recognize the need to talk about what just happened, feels like it's the right thing to do. </p><p> </p><p>     Reggie beats him to it though.</p><p> </p><p>     “I just wanted to point out that you’ve never been like this.” He nods, because he knows but his friend is suddenly all over the onion rings so all of them take a second to enjoy the greasy food before returning to the conversation. This is a conversation that requires this type of fuel. “I mean, the thing about having experienced it all is that by now we should have seen that behavior before right?” He can’t help but to nod again because Reggie is making excellent points. Yet, he has to be himself and can’t completely help it, ruining the whole thing with an unnecessary question: “How long has it been since you’ve had sex?”</p><p> </p><p>     He can hear Alex groan and honestly? Yes. This was not about sex, he’s not thinking with his dick. No, that’s not even the case because he wasn’t thinking at all. He heard her sing and boom! No thoughts. Well, that’s a lie, maybe just one thought: Wow. </p><p> </p><p>     When he voices that thought out loud, Alex sarcastically reminds him that he rarely even thinks, so he has no choice but to lean forward to give him another wet willy but the blonde gets out of the way and tries to stir them back into a serious conversation like the reasonable person he is. Luke takes a deep breath he doesn’t need but wants, just for dramatic effect before speaking. </p><p> </p><p>     “She shook me to the core, her voice just…” He shuts up, not because he’s embarrassed or anything like that, but simply because he has a hard time finding the right words to express what he felt less than ten minutes ago. “A part of me wishes we had arrived earlier to hear her sing since the beginning of the song. It was beautiful; not only her voice but the song as well. The other part of me is terrified of what would’ve happened if I listened to the complete song.” </p><p> </p><p>     The thing is, his words don’t really convey the depth of what just happened and he lets his friends know that. “Maybe it's love at first sight? It’s this what people mean when they say that?” But as soon as the words leave his mouth he knows that’s not it. He’s not in love with her, he’s intrigued and curious and wants to know her and hear more of her.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s ‘amazement’ at first hearing.</p><p>     Yeah, that feels more like it. </p><p> </p><p>     It’s not like he gets to say that out loud anyways because, before they are able to keep the conversation going, Kayla arrives and suddenly all talk and thoughts about the stranger with the voice of an angel stays in the background. They went to this place to enjoy the music and get to know Kayla and so that’s what they do for the rest of the night.  </p><p> </p><p>     That is, until he and Alex are going back to the Underworld and his friend pats him in the back, looking at him as if he knows something Luke doesn’t. Both he and Reggie have been at the receiving end of those looks for as long as he can remember but this time, there are no words that accompany the stare of his friend’s blue eyes. As if, instead of being the voice of reason, a role he ends up playing more often than not, this time he’s going to let him figure things out on his own.</p><p> </p><p>     When he’s alone in his room he tries to think about the whole situation one more time. Men and women have given him pleasure for years. Have kissed, licked and touched his body in countless ways, but nothing has ever touched him the way her voice does. That’s when everything Aphrodite and Cupid talk about starts to make sense and again, he doesn’t think he’s in love with her but he’s definitely moved by the melody of her voice and her good looks. </p><p> </p><p>     He concludes two things, one: he’s never heard anything like her voice before and two: he never wants to hear anything again, because nothing will compare.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     Next Friday when he and the boys find themselves at Eats &amp; Beats there’s no denying it: he knows they are there because there might be a slight chance of encountering the stranger with the voice of an angel. However, since this time they are taking the stage, he’s trying to stay focused on his guitar and finalizing the arrangements of the song they are going to play. He’s been doing this for so long he no longer gets nervous but he’s always excited and pushes them to do their best for the audience. He’s a firm believer in putting on a show no matter where they are, “An audience is an audience, boys!” He has said so many times that in the end it stuck with them. </p><p> </p><p>     They would never be able to achieve the level of fame Luke wanted. Not because they didn’t want to or because they lacked talent but simply because being famous would get in the way of their responsibilities in the Underworld. There it was, another painful reminder that who Luke was meant to be and represent didn’t align with his actual passion. He settled for doing his best and connecting to people; if they did that it would be worth it. Who needs a contract and a tour when you can do this forever and ever? This was his bittersweet reality.  </p><p> </p><p>     He shoves the thoughts away and hugs his boys, “Alright! Legends on three!” and just like that, they are all fired up for the performance. </p><p> </p><p>     They decided to perform ‘Now or never’, a song that’s not necessarily new in their ever growing repertoire but one they are incredibly fond of because of the tongue-in-cheek nature of the lyrics. Every couple of decades they rework the sound to keep it fresh, but the lyrics they never change, mostly because they really enjoy singing an inside joke to an audience that will never know about their little ruse, but they do and that’s enough for them. </p><p> </p><p>     Alex counts them in and, in the blink of an eye they are performing. Something so second nature to them they excel at it and it shows; the crowd loves it. Loves them.</p><p> </p><p>     Performing, being on a stage with his guitar, accompanied by his voice and feeling the lights on him is something he loves and will never get tired of. This is the thing that always brings him the most excitement and joy, second only to his friendship with Alex and Reggie. There’s just something ineffable about putting on a show. The boys understand him because they feel the same way as him, so he’s never really had to say it out loud, what he did was try to put it into words and compose a song about it, but even though it was good, it didn’t capture what he felt being on stage. </p><p> </p><p>     He feels larger than life, which is a funny thing to say when you are a god and a king.</p><p> </p><p>     The adrenaline that runs through his body and thoughts is a rush that has never worn off, he’s been doing this forever and yet, it always feels like the very first time. It’s also incredibly contagious, the chemistry they share as a band is something that expands beyond the stage and reaches the audience; this is their first time playing there but everyone in the crowd is feeling the song and is clearly into the performance. </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t help but to smile as he sings; if only his parents could see that this is what he’s really meant to be. That this is his true calling.</p><p> </p><p>     After the last notes of the song fade away, Reggie takes the mic to do one of the things he does best: hype the band. “Thank you! We’re Sunset Curve, tell your friends!” He and Alex laugh but bow to the audience anyways, before leaving so someone else can perform now. Luke sends good vibes their way because whoever comes after really needs good luck. </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t brag about anything but their music, so yeah, he definitely thinks they killed it and the place should call it a night because their performance was spotless. </p><p> </p><p>     Their post performance ritual includes a group hug and giving each other compliments but this time Alex takes the cake. “Alex you were smoking out there and no, I’m not exaggerating so I refuse to take that back. Please own your awesomeness, for once!” Reggie says and Luke laughs, giving his friend another tight hug, so that he won’t fight the praise.  </p><p> </p><p>     “Alright I will admit I was killing it but please get your sweaty self off me. I love you but you are disgusting!” Replies Alex, clearly trying to break free from the sweaty embrace. Luke lets him go, but not before kissing his cheek, just because he loves to annoy his friend. </p><p> </p><p>     Music starts to fill the backstage and they take that as their cue to start making their way to the green room. He’s still riding on a post performance high, all smiles filled with smugness and there’s a certain swag in his step (Reggie and Alex often mock it and tell him it’s just a ridiculous bounce but he’s not paying attention to that). He feels good, he feels better than good he feels… </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t finish that thought because the last thing he expected to happen is happening right now. </p><p> </p><p>     When they planned on going back to Eats &amp; Beats he was obviously hoping to catch another glimpse of her, but that seemed like a one in a million chance something far out of his reach he tried to get off his mind because of how ridiculous it seemed. He was hoping, ridiculously so, but didn’t expect it would happen. He certainly didn’t expect to find her this close, when she’s smiling and standing in front of the green room, the room they are supposed to go now like she’s waiting for them.</p><p> </p><p>     Is she waiting for them? No, she can’t be.</p><p>     Is she? </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t move and remains rooted in his spot just like what happened last week. He can’t do anything because last time he saw her from afar and he was wrecked afterwards and right now she’s so close and it’s impossible to do anything but stare. He’s supposed to be a god but honestly? He might as well be a bug right now. A second ago he felt on top of the world, he felt every bit of god he is, and now he could easily drop to his knees and drool because of her.  </p><p> </p><p>     He needs to get it together! He’s the lord of darkness for crying out loud. He’s supposed to be better than this. Emphasis on the word better.</p><p> </p><p>     She looks at him with her chocolate eyes and he feels like she’s looking straight into his soul, if he had one, that is. However, soul stuff aside, she's clearly studying him, not simply checking him out, although he can tell his arms caught her attention. He wonders what she’s thinking, because if this is a test he wants to know if he’s doing well, if she’s looking for something he wants to know so he can give her the answers she wants. </p><p> </p><p>     (Somehow, he can hear Alex calling him “simp” but he’s pretty sure his friend hasn’t opened his mouth and they still haven’t mastered telepathy.)</p><p> </p><p>     She obviously has to take the first step and speak because once again, he’s still having a breakdown and not for the first time he thanks that he doesn’t need to breathe or have a beating heart to live because he’s pretty sure those would’ve collapsed by now. “It’s nice to know that you have a voice, even if you are not using it right now.” She says looking at him straight in the eyes while she smiles so sweetly it contrasts with the sass he hears in her voice.</p><p> </p><p>     Her non-singing voice, that is just as melodious and incredible as the singing one. Yeah, he definitely went ahead of himself because now is the time his whole human circuits would have been collapsing because of her. Because of a woman he doesn’t even know.</p><p> </p><p>     Clearly his friends know that too because he can hear their muffled laughs behind his back and, in all honesty? He has to agree with them because he’s pretty sure he swallowed his own tongue.</p><p> </p><p>     In their defense they do end up being supportive and pat him in the back while trying to salvage the situation. “Sorry about him, we promise he knows how to actually behave like a normal person. Let him have a panic attack and then he might say something.” Says Alex, while walking over to her and stretching his hand. “My name is Alex, this is Reggie and the one who can’t speak is Luke. It’s very nice to meet you!” He concludes in a chirpy tone and Luke wants to roll his eyes because he knows his friend is mocking him and while he totally deserves it, that’s a ballsy move for someone who is made of at least 90% anxiety at any given moment.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s very nice to meet you guys. My name is Julie.” She says just as she shakes hands with Reggie who also got closer to her. “You were pretty good up there.”</p><p> </p><p>     Of course that’s what brings him out of his daze. In any other case he would’ve probably thought something about how pretty and fitting her name is (which he does believe), but his music-focused brain pays more attention to what clearly is meant to be a compliment, which means he should be taking it and appreciate the fact that she’s trying to talk to him despite his odd behavior. He should do better and yet, what comes out of his mouth is... </p><p> </p><p>     “Pretty good? You do realize we owned the place right?” He says, leaving the spot he was rooted in and making his friends look at him with disappointment. Again, it's not like they have telepathy but he can definitely hear the ‘Really dude?’ in his head. Luckily, she doesn’t pay much attention to that. </p><p> </p><p>     Instead, she actually laughs. </p><p>     Well, it’s more like a giggle but he thinks it’s still delightful (Is there a sound she can make that is not delightful? Okay, you know what he has enough willpower to stop that train of thought right there before it actually goes somewhere where it can cause some real damage.)</p><p> </p><p>     “How about this: you go pack up your stuff and after you finish you can go and look for me at the bar. If you buy me a drink I’ll give you pointers on how to improve your performance.” Her voice is sultry and inviting. He’s immortal and can’t die but how the heck is he supposed to exist after listening to what is clearly an invitation to hang with her? Somehow he manages to nod and she sends a wink his way before turning back and walking to the bar. </p><p> </p><p>     He moves so fast he’s amazed at himself, he just wants to go to that bar and listen to her speak, (he would also love to actually speak and have a real conversation back but his record so far makes him think baby steps is a better approach to the situation). Albeit it would be a good idea to slow down and try to make himself presentable before joining her, he shoots those thoughts down and leaves his friends behind, getting out of the green room and finding her at the bar in less than five minutes. </p><p> </p><p>     She’s definitely amused by his actions, her smile tells him that much. He’s happy at least she finds the whole thing entertaining. </p><p> </p><p>     “So, what about those drinks?” He asks with a breathy voice making her smile grow in size. She orders a beer and he joins her because if he plans to keep on talking to her he definitely needs liquid courage. He takes a sip immediately after receiving it and looks at her in the eye. “You said something about some pointers?” </p><p> </p><p>     That makes her chuckle, clearly still amused by what can only be described as a very odd behavior. “So that’s what makes you talk, uh? Music.” He knows it’s not a jab at him but it makes him feel a little bad, because he does want to talk to her about something else, but clearly doesn’t know how to do that and if he’s not mistaken, the playful tone means she’s just teasing him. However, he can’t help but to rub the back of his neck and look at her with clear regret in his eyes. “It’s okay, we still have the rest of the night to get to know each other.”</p><p> </p><p>     He likes the sound of that. </p><p> </p><p>     The boys arrive, evidently having taken their time to look less like a sweaty mess and more like regular people; something Julie quickly points out and causes him to blush (a thing he didn’t know he could experience). It’s only after they order more drinks and move to a booth that Julie actually voices her opinions out loud. </p><p> </p><p>     “I still maintain that you were pretty good up there. This is clearly not your first rodeo, you guys have been doing this for a while, or am I mistaken?” They have to keep a straight face at that and he knows Reggie is making a herculean effort not to cackle, so obviously Alex is the one who faintly answers, explaining that yeah, it’s been a couple of years since they formed a band (When really it’s been a couple of years since Reggie renamed the band from ‘Three heads of Cerberus’ to ‘Sunset Curve’, which means they technically they are not lying, right?). “I figured, you have such great chemistry it’s electrifying. I was really feeling it.” She compliments, making him smile because he likes to know that she was actually enjoying the performance. “So, you have that and the lyrics are very good, the feeling you are trying to convey is obvious without being too much in your face. However the sound…”</p><p> </p><p>     Luke felt great until she said that last part. Unknowingly she was praising his abilities as a songwriter but now he was scared. What was wrong about their sound? </p><p> </p><p>     “I’m sorry guys but your sound is so nineties. Did you get stuck in the past?” That is very unexpected but so spot on it earns a big laugh from the three of them because well, this girl clearly knew what she was talking about. He raises his hands in defeat and she looks at him like she’s actually not surprised at all by that admission. </p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, that would be totally right. It’s my fault we sound like that.” He explains just as his friends order more drinks and food, because they know him and know the way this conversation will go, having had it a couple of times since they reached the twenty-first century. “I just love the nineties, I don’t think that’s a crime”.</p><p> </p><p>     Julie snorts at that and for the next half an hour they bounce ideas of each other about their sound. He’s not going to lie; he grows even more mesmerized as he hears her speak. This time it has nothing to do with how pleasant her voice is but by the fact that she clearly knows what she’s talking about. She’s not randomly making suggestions about their music but rather being thorough and detailed. She knows her shit and just wants to offer advice. </p><p> </p><p>     Before he knew that she has the voice of an angel and the looks of one but now he knows she has brains, musical knowledge and sass; which meant he could at least pretend he had a chance but now there’s no need for him to corroborate what he knows: he’s screwed. Utterly screwed.</p><p> </p><p>     Alex and Reggie also seem to be having the same thought as he is by the looks they send him during the chat, which he confirms once they say their goodbyes and leave them alone, wiggling their eyebrows at him behind Julie’s back and making kissing faces as if they were toddlers. He knows this is how Reggie rolls but he knows he has it bad because Alex is actually joining in the ridiculous behavior. So much for being friends.</p><p> </p><p>     The good thing is that by now Luke is feeling less like the mess he was at the beginning of the encounter so he likes the idea of being alone with her, especially because he can behave properly or at least that’s what he hopes because by the look Julie is giving him, she also seems happy to the idea of just being the two of them. </p><p> </p><p>     “I can’t believe we have been talking for thirty minutes and I haven’t told you what an amazing performance you gave last Friday. We arrived when you were finishing the song but it was…” Once again he lacks the words to transmit his thoughts in an accurate way but right now is especially difficult because they are alone and she’s right in front of him (he feels especially grateful for the distance the table gives them) and he’s fully under the scrutiny of her beautiful brown eyes. He feels so small under her gaze but he braves on because she deserves to know, even if he’s struggling to find the right words. “It was amazing, Julie. You are very talented. Beyond your voice and skill with the piano, it’s clear that you have the power to move people and knock them off their feet.”</p><p> </p><p>     He surprises himself with his own statement. Given that he had struggled to explain not only to his friends but also to himself, he wasn’t expecting all those words to come out of his mouth. However, they are the truth so he doesn’t regret voicing them out loud. If anything he’s pretty sure he could’ve kept talking but then she might think he’s a creepy obsessed man and that’s not the vibe he’s going for. </p><p> </p><p>     He rarely says this but he’s glad for this display of self-restraint. </p><p> </p><p>     For a second he distracts himself by celebrating such achievement but then his focus goes back to her face and he can’t believe his eyes:</p><p> </p><p>     She’s blushing. Julie is blushing.</p><p>     He gets lost watching her. The way she ducks his stare and smiles, small but soft, clearly moved by his words. She glances at her empty beer bottle for a second, as if letting the words really sink in before looking at him. She doesn’t say anything so they just stare at each other. He’s thankful for that. </p><p> </p><p>     “Thank you for your words Luke.” She says and he bites his lip to keep himself from saying what he’s thinking right this second: that she just looks so pretty he regrets not having something to capture that moment. He just tries to freeze it and keep it in his memory; because right now he’s just a boy and he’s sitting in front of a girl who could make his non-existent heart sing with happiness. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s so in the moment, so lost in Julie and the warmness that has surrounded them and turned that booth in their own little world, that he completely forgets he has never felt human until this moment with her. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>If you want to chat, I'm also on tumblr, <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> here</a> is my account.</p><p>While writing this fic I created a playlist of songs that I think capture the essence of the story as well as Julie and Luke's personalities here. If you want to listen, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> here</a> is the link!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Talk, let’s have conversations in the dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone! I hope you like the story so far.<br/>I would love it if you leave comments or send me asks on my <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> tumblr.</a></p><p>Chapter title from John Legend's "Conversations in the dark".</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     After all the music talk, it’s only fair they actually get to know each other once they are left alone. </p><p>     He absolutely loves every second of it.  </p><p> </p><p>     There’s something about her and he can’t quite put his finger on it. She’s just effortlessly charming, disarming him with her sweet smiles and interesting chatter. Luke still can’t believe he can keep up with the conversation because she’s very distracting but he manages to stay focused, paying attention and listening to her, mostly because he knows it’s so worth it to pay attention, he’s genuinely interested in getting to know her. </p><p> </p><p>     So far he knows her name is Julie Molina, she’s twenty three, she’s an only child and she’s been playing piano since birth because of her mom (and if he doesn’t notice the slight hints of sadness when she mentions her mother please don’t hold that against him). He knows her father is a baker and she tried following his footsteps by attending the ‘CulinaryLab Cooking School’ but realized it really wasn’t for her.</p><p> </p><p>     (After learning that last fact, he wonders if he can manage to ask if he can taste her cooking without sounding like a creep. Luckily, he discards that thought just as quickly as it formed in his head. He’s relieved some of Alex’s common sense stuck with him.)</p><p> </p><p>     He has also shared facts about himself, the things that are appropriate to say out loud and don’t make him seem like he’s escaped from an institution. Somehow he doesn’t think saying “Hey, technically my real name is Hades and I rule the Underworld” would help his chances of ever seeing her ever again. </p><p> </p><p>     “Tell me Luke who’s twenty four, a fellow only child whose soul brothers I just met… What do you do for a living? I don’t think being stuck in the nineties actually qualifies as a job.” He has to laugh at that, because he doesn't mind being teased by her, especially when she looks at him through her eyelashes.</p><p> </p><p>     “Can’t you tell what my job is? If your answer is no, then I’m doing a terrible job!” He crosses his arms and she seems a little distracted by that movement so he decides to keep that knowledge safe, in case he needs it in the future. Julie shakes her head and he settles in the only answer worth giving: “I’m a musician Julie!” His voice is filled with pride and he hopes that’s enough to masquerade the guilt he’s experiencing because he’s unable to be completely honest with her.</p><p> </p><p>     “Is that so? I would have never guessed.” She answers, biting her lip, clearly trying and failing to hide a playful smirk.</p><p> </p><p>     “You wound me, Julie!” It’s like he can’t fucking stop himself from saying her name; it’s getting fucking ridiculous. “Is that what you do to guys you recently met? Wound fragile male egos?” He jokes and takes a sip of his beer only to almost choke when she admits:</p><p> </p><p>     “Only with the cute ones who admit male egos tend to be fragile.”</p><p> </p><p>     That’s what settles it; Julie will go down in history as the only mortal woman to have ever killed a god.</p><p> </p><p>     She winks her eye at him before excusing herself and going to the bathroom. He’s still trying to process her words and while he could take advantage of the solitude to do that he decides he's not strong enough to be left alone with his thoughts so he distracts himself by ordering a plate of onion rings. He can’t think straight right now so he’ll busy himself by eating.</p><p> </p><p>     That’s why when she comes back he’s got a mouth full of greasy onion rings. </p><p> </p><p>     It should make sense to feel embarrassed, being caught looking in a very unflattering situation by a woman who apparently can’t appear anything other than captivating. However, he knows he filled his quota of embarrassment for the night so he simply smiles at her, trying to disarm her with his charm. She just smiles and moves the plate of onion rings closer to her spot, silently letting him know she wants her part, and because he’s all about being a gentleman, he lets her have the rest, before opening his mouth to resume the conversation. “Alright Julie, what do you do for a living?” </p><p> </p><p>     The main reason he asked is because he wants a verbal confirmation of what he considered an obvious fact: she's a musician, or well, he expects that at least her job is related to an aspect of the music industry, especially because she told him being at culinary school is something that didn’t work out for her which his brain interpreted happened as a result of her being a musical genius. </p><p> </p><p>     It’s because of how strongly he believes that, that his face shows a clear expression of surprise when she tells him he’s wrong. He doesn’t mind being wrong, particularly because his facial features are so contorted in surprise that as a result she bursts out in laughter. He thinks it’s absolutely adorable and therefore, before he can help himself, he mutters the compliment out loud; which makes her roll her eyes and mumble something under her breath before explaining herself.</p><p> </p><p>     “No. I’m not a musician or anything like that. Actually, you know what? When you saw me perform last Friday… That was my first performance in a really long time. My job has been keeping me occupied and my performance wasn’t necessarily super planned.” Once again, he’s genuinely surprised; she seemed so comfortable and in her element up there on stage it made so much sense… As if she’s able to hear his thoughts, she shakes her head and continues. “I’m actually a florist. Here, let me show you.”</p><p> </p><p>     Before he can even process what she’s said he can feel her moving closer to him and he could swear that for a second there he flat lined. It would be impossible, but stranger things have happened and an example of that is happening right now: Julie’s left side of her body is pressed against his right and it’s simultaneously killing him and making him feel like he’s on cloud nine.  </p><p> </p><p>     He knows she’s doing it to show him something in her phone but that is not what he’s paying attention to. No sir! </p><p>     He’s paying attention to her naked shoulder, that looks smooth and soft and it’s the home to a single <strike>cute</strike> mole that makes him wonder if she has more because he definitely wants to become an explorer of her body and find others. Possibly kiss them, if he were allowed to.</p><p>     He’s paying attention to her neck, adorned by three necklaces whose stories he wants to hear, but most importantly, wants to take out of the way to be totally free of caressing and kissing her skin, if he were allowed to.     </p><p>   He’s paying attention to her hair and how inviting it is. Like the rest of her, it is intoxicating and although he’s reasonable enough to know she can’t claim to naturally smell like pomegranate and honey it suits her so well, he's sure she truly smells like that. He wants her scent all over his chambers in the Underworld.</p><p>     He’s paying attention to her temple, the wrinkles on her forehead, her cute nose that he’s noticed she scrunches from time to time and makes him think that it should be illegal that a woman can be this cute while also being incredibly gorgeous and attractive. </p><p>     He’s paying attention to her red cheeks, to her jaw, to the corner of her lips...</p><p>           </p><p>     Suddenly she turns her head and they are face-to-face, so close he actually takes in a deep breath, as if he actually needed one. She stares at him in the eyes with an eyebrow raised, her whole face not showing a particular emotion so he’s unsure if she’s mad about the fact that she caught him not paying attention. He, however, can totally feel his face warm, full of embarrassment. However, he’s not sure he fully regrets it because who knows if he’ll get another opportunity to look at her again.</p><p> </p><p>     “Saw something you like?” She asks and her tone is slightly playful which takes him aback. He’s definitely not expecting that question. He’s also not expecting to answer it with that much honesty.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m sorry, I know you only came this close to show me something but I got distracted because… I think you are very beautiful.” The words leave his mouth not with a bang more like, barely a whisper; as if he’s sharing a secret with her, as if she’s the only one who deserves to know this. And really, she is the only one who needs to know but it’s so different to how he usually behaves it makes him question himself for a hot second, mostly because it’s hard to think when she’s so close to him.</p><p> </p><p>     She just stares at him, having been caught off guard by his comment and for a moment they just stay like that, not saying anything. He takes that as an opportunity to put some strands of her hair behind her ear, a move he’s laughed at countless times but it feels so fitting he can barely contain himself. </p><p> </p><p>     He wonders if she’s some kind of witch, because that’s the explanation he comes up with to explain his behavior. </p><p> </p><p>     She smiles at him and he reciprocates the gesture, while thinking, not for the first time this night, how he feels so small, so vulnerable and it almost makes him laugh that the cause of that is this woman, someone he barely knows. </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t have time to dwell on that or go over the implications of it all in his mind because she speaks again, snapping them both back to reality. “You might be too charming for your own good. But guess what? You can make it up to me by walking me home.”</p><p> </p><p>     Safe to say Luke has never stood up faster than right now. However, he’s been drinking with her and although he can't get drunk it does make him dizzy so his movements are not as smooth as he would want. Whatever, Julie laughs and that counts as a win in his book.</p><p> </p><p>     They resume their conversation once they find themselves outside the venue after realizing Reggie had paid for everything before leaving. The streets of downtown LA are just as alive as Eats &amp; Beats but thanks to the moonlight, it's a completely different atmosphere. Under this light he’s able to realize he had no real measure of her beauty, the crappy illumination of the place robbing him of actually admiring her good looks. Out here she looks as if she’s an actual goddess. </p><p> </p><p>     “What I was telling you in there while you were distracted was that I’m a florist. I have a flower shop a couple of blocks from here. That’s where we are going.” She explains and this time he’s focused on her words and on the way her eyes twinkle with excitement as she speaks. He’s reminded of the look of her face when she was singing, as if she was in her element. “I told you I went to culinary school but I was only doing it because I felt I had to follow my father’s steps. When I decided it wasn’t for me I was faced with the question, ‘What to do now?’ As a hobby I started playing with the decor of the bakery. To be honest, I have always loved flowers and started to make arrangements and sets but it felt different, this time it had a purpose and I was just proud of what I was doing, so it made sense to start posting them on social media… After a couple of months they became viral.” She laughs and it contrasts with the way her voice sounded at the beginning of her explanation, quite shy and coy; almost as if she’s still in disbelief of her own story. “I couldn’t believe it. I was blown away by how everything happened, trust me it was very unexpected! It still is, because I guess in a way it’s still sinking in that I am a business owner. I mean, a small one but still.”</p><p> </p><p>     “That doesn’t mean you deserve less credit, big or small it’s still your business and you should feel proud.” She beams at his words and he can’t believe he caused that. They are walking at twelve twenty in the middle of the night and yet she’s glowing brighter than everything he’s seen before. He’s pretty sure she could light up his whole kingdom, from the entrance and passing over the river Cocytus. Heck, she could probably light up the Tartarus if she wanted to. </p><p> </p><p>     “So, now I have to ask you Luke: What’s your favorite flower?”    </p><p> </p><p>     Fuck. He doesn’t have an answer for that, at least not one that’ll make him look good. He needs to distract her; he refuses to be even more embarrassed than he already has.</p><p> </p><p>     “Why Jules? Are you going to judge me by my favorite flower?”</p><p> </p><p>     She raises an eyebrow, clearly not impressed by his antics. “First of all: don’t tell me you don’t go around judging people by their music taste.” Well, he can’t really deny that, after all Reggie does like country music… He ends up shrugging, he’s not going to admit it out loud but he’s also not going to deny it. She doesn’t seem impressed. “Second of all: don’t think that you are fooling me by calling me Jules, you are trying to distract me.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Does that mean I cannot call you Jules?” He fires back, wiggling his eyebrows now very invested in this exchange mostly because she doesn’t give in his bullshit.   </p><p> </p><p>     “You can call me Jules after you answer the question.” She answers and he gives up, not only because he likes the idea of calling her Jules but also because really he’s happy to cater to her every whim. </p><p> </p><p>     “Keep in mind I’m, by no means, a flower connoisseur.” He says and almost immediately she whispers ‘No shit’ under her breath. He retaliates by shoving her playfully to a side, before answering. “I know this is really basic, but I like daisies and I know eucalyptus is not a flower, but I also like it.” She doesn’t say anything for a couple of seconds and when she looks at her, he realizes she seems to be analyzing his answer. “You can mock me, is alright. I think I can take it”</p><p> </p><p>     “No. It’s not that.” She says just as they stop at a crosswalk. She turns to look at him as they wait for the light to change. “Did you know flowers have meanings and symbolism?” He nods and she does too, “Well, there’s four things daisies represent and one of them is new beginnings. I was thinking that your choice seems very fitting.” For a moment she doesn’t say anything else, as she’s clearly giving him the space to interpret his words. He doesn’t let himself hesitate.</p><p> </p><p>     “Are you saying this is a new beginning Jules?” He asks, masking his tone to conceal any sign of expectations. She just looks at him with an unreadable expression, giving her a mysterious aura. He’s about to press for an answer when the light changes to green and instead of answering she races to cross the street, leaving him to try and catch up with her. </p><p> </p><p>     He runs after her because he desperately wants and needs an answer. After he quickly reaches her, he’s not about to lose time on pretending he’s catching his breath, so Luke opens his mouth to repeat his question but she decides to drop an anvil to his head. </p><p> </p><p>     Metaphorically speaking, that is. </p><p> </p><p>     Really what she drops is a simple sentence: “If you want to distract me, next time you should try using your arms. Those would do the job just fine.” She says, a little raspy, he assumes because of the run because he’s not going to delve into another meaning behind that raspy voice, he will not do that to himself. </p><p> </p><p>     Theoretically, he knows she said that to distract him, so he should keep on pressing with his question, become the annoying person Alex accuses him of being but, in all honesty? He just wants to applaud her because she did such a fantastic job; she has him blushing like a teenager with a few simple words. He obviously likes being complimented and basks in the fact that she finds him attractive, but what he likes the most is that he can recognize the sincerity in her words, under the playfulness and the flirtation, there’s truth. He likes that.</p><p> </p><p>     He has to clear his throat before he’s able to reply, “Duly noted.” She smiles at him before stopping and pointing to the building in front of her. She doesn’t need to say it out loud, because he can totally see her chest swelling with pride and her eyes twinkle with happiness: this is her store. This is where she works and creates and even though it’s closed right now he can see that this is her home, a concept so foreign to him it quite stings. </p><p> </p><p>     “Obviously it’s not a lot to look at right now but when we are open the sun lights up the place and it’s simply beautiful. We have a lot of flowers in there, including daisies and eucalyptus.” She says, eyeing him and he can only nod, mesmerized by the way he can hear the pride dripping out of every word she just said. “I named it ‘Coming up Roses’.” He’s so focused on the pride he heard that he nearly misses the sadness in her tone when she mentions the name, almost. </p><p> </p><p>     However, he can’t make himself ask her about that, because he hasn’t heard sadness tonight and feels he would be overstepping himself. They did just meet a few hours ago and he doesn’t want to ruin it by asking about something that might be very personal. Instead of intruding, he decides to ask something he really wants an answer for. </p><p> </p><p>     “Is it okay if I come back tomorrow? I want to see it in full swing and corroborate that statement on daisies and eucalyptus.” He jokes, trying to mask the nerves that suddenly attack him from every flank. Apparently that works because she laughs, seeing his face with her brown eyes. He hopes he’s not hallucinating the expectancy he sees in them. “But to be honest I’m just clinging to that excuse because wanna see you tomorrow if that’s alright.” He can’t manage to look at her in the eyes as he delivers that last sentence so, for a second he glances down at his shoes, very nervous about her answer. </p><p> </p><p>     She definitely has to be a witch or have him under some sort of spell because never in all the years of his existence he’s ever acted like a shy schoolboy asking his crush out. </p><p> </p><p>     “Yes. I would like that… But on one condition, you want to know which one?” He raises her his face to look at her and nods eagerly, biting his lip in anticipation. She takes a step closer to him, completely disregarding the concept of personal space. He can’t say he’s not pleased by the closeness but he can’t help but to rub his neck, trying to calm his nerves.  “I need to check something okay? Because so far I know you are very sweet and charming and you also have an incredible voice and very attractive biceps. But I need to check if your lips are as captivating as they seem to be.”</p><p> </p><p>     He’s not expecting that but to quote his own song, it’s now or never; he’s not going to make her say that twice.</p><p> </p><p>     His hand moves, like it’s got a mind of its own, to her cheek, caressing it briefly but making him smile all the same because her skin is so soft he can’t wait to feel her lips. He ducks to be at her level and she meets him halfway, before he can even process the situation, his lips are on hers and they are kissing.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s not what he expects it to be, if anything is kind of the opposite because the kiss is very tamed. He expected the night to end in a fiery embrace or a passionate kiss. But no, is soft and shy, so chaste it would blush if it could see other things he has done throughout his existence. </p><p> </p><p>     Yet somehow, he enjoys it just as much as he's surprised by it. He’s just happy to kiss her so he loses himself in the moment. He doesn’t need to make out with her to feel an adrenaline rush that is superior to the one he gets performing on stage and that is because even though they are doing very little she herself is intoxicating enough to make him want to stay like that, not going any further. </p><p> </p><p>     After all, lord knows what might happen if he deepens the kiss? He feels as if his body was gasoline and she’s fire, they might combust. He finds that funny because the kiss has no ulterior motives, he’s not trying to get her to bed or something like that. Yet, the way he feels could definitely compete with a really good orgasm. </p><p> </p><p>     He really is utterly fucked. </p><p> </p><p>     His left hand is still on her cheek, stroking it gently while his right one ends up by her waist, pulling her closer against his chest just as he breaks the kiss. He’s not ready to do that but he figures she needs to breathe and so he just compromises her by keeping some sort of contact. </p><p> </p><p>     He looks at her, taking her all in, before deciding to tell her again how beautiful she is. He’s rewarded with a beautiful smile that lets him appreciate the cute gap between her teeth. </p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, you can come and see me tomorrow. I’ll show you around the store and then we can have breakfast together.” She says with a raspy voice that makes him smile. For a second there he had totally forgotten there was a reason they were kissing, if he had a heart he’s sure it would want to do somersaults to celebrate that.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’d love to.” He answers before kissing her again, just because he can’t help himself. It’s quick and sweet, it’s a goodnight gift. </p><p> </p><p>     When they break the kiss and she pulls from his personal space he can feel himself pouting, making her shake her head in disbelief. “I’ll see you tomorrow at seven thirty Luke. Have a good night.” She walks to the door and he just stands there, watching her as she searches for her keys and opens the door. He waves at her; unable to say anything else because he’s pretty sure she stole his vocal chords. She waves back and disappears into the building.</p><p> </p><p>     The last thing he thinks before going back to the Underworld is that this is definitely a new beginning. She gave him an answer, after all and for that he’s grateful.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>If you want to chat, I'm also on tumblr, <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> here</a> is my account.</p><p>While writing this fic I created a playlist of songs that I think capture the essence of the story as well as Julie and Luke's personalities here. If you want to listen, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> here</a> is the link!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chasing after danger, making my heart race</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying the story. </p><p>Starting from this chapter you'll see that the story will have gaps between scenes and that is because I'm going to write the story from Julie's point of view, so, some scenes will be written from her perspective. I will post her side of the story once I'm finished with this one. </p><p>Chapter title from Major Lazer's: "Be together".</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     When he gets back to the Underworld that night, he’s thankful that he has a bed (an IKEA one, no less) because he feels so high all he wants to do is jump in it. He does, by the way. He does until Alex interrupts him and he has to stop, reluctantly and channeling a five year old being scolded by his mom, arrange himself in the bed, sitting down and leaving space for his friend to join him. </p><p> </p><p>     For a while they just stay in silence, his head on his friend’s shoulder, eyes closed. He’s trying to calm himself and put his thoughts in order, going over the night in his head trying to relieve it, trying to burn it in his memories by remembering every little detail and aspect. He’ll live forever but he knows his memories won’t and so, he refuses to forget the way Julie’s lips felt against him, the sensation of her body against his, all the times she made him fluster… </p><p> </p><p>     He sighs out loud and Alex shakes his head in response, as if he can’t believe the way his friend is behaving.</p><p> </p><p>     “Alright Romeo, wanna talk about it or wanna keep acting like a teenager with a crush?” Alex has never sounded more sarcastic in his life; he loves it. </p><p> </p><p>    “We have a date tomorrow!” Luke announces and the pure thrill he gets by sharing that out loud makes him want to jump on the bed again but Alex shoots him a look so sternly he abandons all hope of jumping again. He’ll get to do that when his friend leaves.</p><p> </p><p>     “You have a date tomorrow with Julie?” The sarcasm in his voice turns to disbelief, which would’ve hurt him in any other situation but he’s too happy to be wounded by that. Besides, that’s just the way they treat each other, if anything he would be offended if Alex didn’t poke fun at him. </p><p> </p><p>    “What? Are you jealous?” He asks in a mocking manner, elbowing him while wiggling his eyebrows, clearly enjoying annoying his friend to no end. Alex is about to continue with the situation, not one to let Luke win but Willie appears with Cerberus in tow, ending the friend’s game. </p><p> </p><p>     “Who’s jealous of what?” The newcomer asks and Alex face palms loudly while Luke laughs so hard he’s belly would hurt if he had one. Seemingly understanding that he’s not going to get an answer from them he just sits down at the end of the bed, Cerberus in tow while Alex catches him up to speed about the situation. The surprise face Willie makes after hearing the news also fails to bother him but it does make him curious. </p><p> </p><p>     “Why is everyone so surprised? I’m going to start sharing my news only with Cerberus. He’s clearly happy I’m going on a date with Julie, aren’t you Cerberus?” He announces, as the dog moves closer to Luke and wags his tail, clearly happy at the mention of his name. “Who’s the best boy?” He scratches his ears before giving him belly rubs, something the dog obviously enjoys. Alex wants to object at that statement, opening his mouth but Willie puts a hand on his leg, rubbing gently but clearly sending the message that he’ll take this one.</p><p> </p><p>     “Is not that I’m not happy for you, bro. Is just that, uh… Well, it surprised me because this is your first date, am I correct?” Willie has the gentlest voice, that’s the first thing he noticed about him, back when him and Alex were unsure of what kind of a relationship they could have. Right now that’s all he can think as he nods to answer his question, Willie clearly knew what he was doing by taking the reins of the conversation from Alex, and it’s impossible to really be mad at someone with that voice. “You’ve never talked about dating anyone, much less a human girl. When I say I’m happy for you I mean it…”</p><p> </p><p>     “We do mean it.” Adds Alex and he knows both of them are telling the truth, no matter how much of a hard time his friend gives him. He loves them, he really does. </p><p> </p><p>     “I just think, are you sure about this?” It’s such a simple question, composed of just three words, but the meaning and depth behind it is much more complex than he can imagine. “I mean, she’s a human and you’re a god and not just any god, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>     That’s when it hits him. He gets the message Willie is trying to get across; he’s the king of the dead, by all accounts he’s a big shot (even if he hates that statement). If he was a minor god or even a demigod or even a hero he could get away with dating a human. All night he’s been happy and excited, just a step shy of counting the minutes to see Julie but now he’s faced with the fact that this is not a simple thing. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s not a boy in front of a girl asking her to breakfast and kisses. He’s an immortal being in front of a mortal girl concealing a big part of who he is. </p><p> </p><p>     Somehow he had managed to avoid that all night. It's ridiculous he actually fooled himself into thinking that he could actually go on a date and it wouldn’t be a big deal. He feels like a deflated balloon right now which is something he can’t conceal because Cerberus puts its three heads in his lap, trying to cheer him up and even Willie leaves his spot to be closer to Luke and comfort him. </p><p> </p><p>     “I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.” He says and once again, his gentle voice makes him smile, despite the situation. He knows it’s not Willie’s fault, he’s just pointing out something important that would’ve come to his attention sooner rather than later. </p><p> </p><p>     He wonders whom he should blame for the whole ordeal. </p><p>     Reggie? For bringing them to the venue where Julie performed? </p><p>     His parents? For binding him to a fate he didn’t want? </p><p>     Himself for being foolish enough and making plans to go on a date?</p><p>     Or Julie? For approaching him and suggesting the date?</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t want to blame anyone; it’s not going to change the outcome. After all, this is not his first rodeo hating his destiny; it’s an old tired song by now. </p><p> </p><p>     He sighs loudly just as Willie and Alex end up surrounding him in a big tight hug, a gesture he desperately needs right now. This is just so freaking typical of him: one minute he feels as if he's on top of the world and the next he might as well be on Tartarus with the Titans. He does appreciate the hug though, and makes the point of thanking them out loud for being there for him. </p><p> </p><p>     They stay like that for a while only breaking their embrace when Reggie appears and the guys catch him up with the events of the night. As he listens to the recount Alex and Willie offer him (Which makes Luke want to detach his ears from his body because this should be considered a special form of torture) his friend looks around the room, taking in the long faces and the way Luke’s body is clearly emanating sadness and misery before saying:</p><p> </p><p>     “So what?” Once again he’s faced with a simple question but this time is only two words long. Alex is quick to start babbling a response but Reggie pays him no mind, focusing only on Luke, which is a huge deal because Cerberus is right there and those two are inseparable. “Luke, I mean it: so what if she’s a human girl and this is your first date ever. You should be nervous about not being able to talk to her like it happened at the beginning of the night, not moping around or being such a pessimistic god.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Reggie but…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Nuh uh man. No buts!” His friend must mean business because any other time that would’ve made his friend giggle, but not right now. “Luke, you are just going to breakfast, you are not planning to take her to Olympus and introduce her to everyone up there or reveal the mysteries of our existences. I don’t get what the big deal is; you are allowed to enjoy yourself. I get that it’s not common and it’s certainly out of the norm but you are allowed to be happy Luke.”</p><p> </p><p>     Those final words echo through his head because his friend is absolutely right. It doesn’t nullify the point Willie raised earlier but as of now, he’s just having breakfast with her and he deserves that, he deserves to feel happiness; Reggie does make a good point. </p><p> </p><p>     He looks at Willie and Alex, searching for another obstacle or something else because he can feel himself getting his hopes up again and he refuses to get down from the wave he was riding, if he’s going to get himself up again he won’t back down this time. Willie shrugs and contemplates him with the same gentleness he has when he speaks. “We’re just looking out for you, you need to be careful. Not for you per se, but for her.” </p><p> </p><p>     He nods and that’s exactly why he’s thankful for his words even if they hurt a bit; Luke does need to keep in mind this is uncharted territory for him and needs to keep Julie out of the murky business that is being immortal. He then turns to his blonde friend, the last barrier before feeling high on hope and excitement again.  </p><p> </p><p>     “You should still keep in mind that it’s not going to be smooth sailing.” It’s all he says, which makes Reggie laugh before answering: </p><p> </p><p>     “When is anything related to Luke smooth? He wishes!”  </p><p> </p><p>     That’s what it takes for the three of them to leave the conversation aside and start a pillow fight, which amuses Cerberus to no end and leaves Willie to play referee to the whole thing. It doesn’t last very long though, leaving them sprawled around the chamber trying to calm down, but it does the trick and breaks the sad spell he was under before Reggie appeared. As a result of it, when they resume the subject is in a different light and Luke is thankful for that.</p><p> </p><p>     “What are you going to share about yourself?” Alex asks and Luke explains some information he already shared with Julie, warning them that they are musicians first and only.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, that sounds about right. You don’t really have a brain to focus on anything rather than music.” Jokes Willie, earning himself a kiss from Alex who loves when his partner mocks Luke. </p><p> </p><p>     They talk for a while, the boys showing support, making jokes and trading advice regarding the whole thing; “You are going to need a last name,” mentions Reggie at some point just like Alex brings up the fact that he doesn’t have a smartphone but Luke is quick to argue that he already established himself as someone stuck in the nineties and to that his friends shake their heads, leaving him to suit himself. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s left alone after a while, just with the company of his own thoughts which are not necessarily the best company to have but this time he needs to put his affairs in order; he refuses to be a mess during the date.</p><p> </p><p>     As he makes his way through his clothes, looking for a decent outfit to go to breakfast he comes to certain conclusions: although he’s thankful for the fact that he’s no longer sad and was able to regain excitement, there’s still a part of him that’s consumed with guilt over the fact that he’s going to need to lie to her and she doesn’t deserve that. No one really deserves to be lied to and Luke hates to be in a position where he has to do it. </p><p> </p><p>     He really wishes he could be just a boy in front of a girl and not worry about anything else other than music. </p><p> </p><p>     Not for the first time in a few centuries, he wishes things were easier for him. He makes the point of remembering Reggie’s words: “You deserve to be happy” and repeats them like a mantra as he prepares himself for his date with Julie.</p><p> </p><p>     He let’s the growing feeling of hopefulness and excitement grow as he dresses. He gets to be happy, at least for the day. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>  </p><p>     Flowers. </p><p> </p><p>     All he sees are flowers. </p><p> </p><p>     He stops walking and takes a moment to appreciate the window of Julie’s store, smiling at himself as he realizes he’s probably never seen so many flowers in one place. It didn’t occur to him last night as they talked about her job, but flowers are such a remote aspect to him he can’t believe he’s about to go on a date with someone whose life revolves around flowers.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s not like he doesn’t like them. When he said he liked daisies he meant it but he also didn’t exaggerate when he said he wasn't a connoisseur. It’s just such a foreign concept to him. </p><p> </p><p>     The place where he comes from is not a prairie even if the Asphodel Meadows and Elysium are beautiful prairies. The truth is, as a rule, the Underworld is decidedly not pretty, if anything is far from it. It’s a harsh environment because the whole purpose of the place is that you’re not supposed to want to be there and it shows: it’s dark and somber and borderline scary. That’s one of the few things humans get right about him: he comes from an awful place.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s such a contrast to Julie’s shop. Bright, colorful and vibrant. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s standing right in the same spot he was last night and wow, the place is a sight to behold. It’s so alive he can’t believe his eyes. Julie’s words from last night don’t do it justice. The store is just as beautiful as she is. It makes him smile so big his cheeks hurt. He pays it no mind; it really makes him happy to see the place in all its glory. </p><p> </p><p>     He steps into the store and sees her behind the counter, the light of the morning surrounds her and he freezes, capturing the moment. She looks so pretty, so in her element he tries not to distract her but he knows the weight of his staring must alert her that someone is there because she raises her eyes from a bouquet she’s working on and smiles sweetly at him. That’s when he realizes she’s not pretty; she’s absolutely gorgeous.</p><p> </p><p>     He’s so happy to be there.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     Everything goes great. </p><p> </p><p>     Well, if he’s completely honest the date goes better than great. Somehow during breakfast he’s able to not make a fool of himself or embarrass himself with his table manners while also making her laugh and have a good time, that’s when she suggests they spend the rest of the day together he feels like he won the jackpot. </p><p> </p><p>     “Nick can handle the shop and tía Victoria promised to drop by later. Do you wanna get rid of me Luke? Because I thought we might repeat last night's ending.” She says, once he voices concern about her store. Obviously he wanted to stay with her for the rest of the day but he’s also aware of her responsibilities; he’s overjoyed by the fact that he gets to spend more time with her. So much so he doesn’t even process the last words she said.</p><p> </p><p>     He’s completely mesmerized by her ability of turning a simple walk into a spectacular situation. He has a hard time convincing himself it’s not magic because the truth is he’s seen downtown L.A. too many times but it’s like somehow she gave him a pair of rose tinted glasses and now The Broad museum doesn’t look so basic and the Walt Disney Concert Hall has always been rad so there’s no changing that. </p><p> </p><p>     But then they are sitting at a cafe in front of the City Hall and the rose tinted glasses start to resemble red-hot tinted glasses because he’s pretty sure Julie is acting in a way that is deliberately seductive. It starts innocent enough, so much so that he barely registers it: she bites her lower lip while he’s looking at her, she glances at his lips when he speaks… He’s not making himself falling for any illusions so he tries not to read that much into that.</p><p> </p><p>     Still it was hard to do that when Julie did… Well, everything Julie is doing. When their drinks arrive she dips a finger in the whipped cream of her caramel Frappuccino to taste it and that gesture leaves him babbling like an idiot for a couple of seconds before she innocently reminds him of what they were talking about (However, all he can think about is that he desperately wants to be that finger). He still tries to act normal and not like a hormonal driven person, so he resumes his chat about Sunset Curve’s sound. </p><p> </p><p>     Even as he speaks he’s still processing everything that’s happening because he’s not ruling out that somehow Julie managed to get a whipped cream mustache on purpose just so that, when he points it out (like the idiot he is), she uses her tongue to wipe it clean; all while looking incredibly angelical and guiltless. </p><p> </p><p>     How the hell is he supposed to talk about the band when she’s doing that? </p><p> </p><p>     After that thought he almost has to rewind because: What? That’s the first time he’s ever had a thought like that and he’s clearly listening to Alex’s voice in his head saying how proud he is of him by putting someone (outside of his friends) above music. </p><p> </p><p>     He excuses himself to go to the bathroom, something he doesn’t normally need but right now he needs to splash cold water in his face to get his shit together. While he looks at his reflection in the mirror he realizes two can play the game, right? After all she did say last night that his arms could totally distract her. Well, he’s about to test that theory. </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t believe Alex and Reggie doubted he was smooth. He’s freaking suave, okay? So he prances back to the table (or at least that’s how he sees it happening) and moves his chair to be closer to Julie who cocks an eyebrow at his actions but otherwise doesn’t say anything. He smirks and thinks it’s time to put the red-hot tinted glasses on her.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s on.</p><p> </p><p>     Unlike her, he doesn’t start with subtleties, mostly because he’s unable to pull off the innocent look she possesses so he starts with the heavy lifting all at once. Because he’s closer to her he flexes his biceps and catches a faint blush in her cheeks that makes the scoreboard tilt in his favor, at least a little bit. It’s not enough, but he’s just getting started.</p><p> </p><p>     “I really think the plants and flowers at the shop respond well to the music so… What are you doing?” She stops her story, clearly confused when he grabs a strand of her hair and, instead of putting it behind her ear, starts playing with it very amused not only by how soft it feels but also by how something so simple distracts her so much.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m playing with your hair. Does it bother you? I really like it but I can stop if you…”</p><p>     </p><p>     “No!” She almost shouts, which makes Luke snicker because he’s having an effect on her and he loves it but because she seems embarrassed by attracting attention to the table he shows her some mercy and kisses her cheek, being very aware of the fact that he’s actually kissing the corner of her mouth. He remains closer to her face and can feel her take a deep breath before staring right into his eyes; “What are you getting at? If you want to kiss me you should just do it already.” </p><p> </p><p>     He wants to, desperately but he’s also enjoying this too much for his own good so he just stays in her personal space, peeking at her lips while he bites his own before keeping his attention at her eyes. “But Jules, I want to hear more about your music.” He says trying to fake innocence and making her laugh while lightly pushing his arm. He’s very surprised when she leaves her hand there, instead of removing it and when he glances back at her face he can totally see that it is deliberate. </p><p> </p><p>     Now they are both playing with fire. </p><p> </p><p>     He is, however, very interested in seeing how far this can go. It’s not like he’s the hunter and she’s a prey, they are clearly both equals and there’s something alluring about the situation they are in. </p><p> </p><p>     She starts to brush her fingers in his skin, tracing different forms around it. It’s very distracting, her skin is very soft and it just feels amazing. “I was saying that once I bought the shop I started talking to my flowers, mostly because at the beginning it was very lonely, it was just me and then; Andi, Nick and Bobby weren’t a part of the team. It made sense to talk to them, we were spending all our days together and I sang to myself but they started to respond really well to it. They grew bigger, stronger, with the most vibrant colors I’ve ever seen. My dad and tía said I should record myself and play it to them. Now the customers compliment that as well, they say it’s what makes my store stand out from others.” She looks so proud of herself he can’t help but to feel proud as well. </p><p> </p><p>     However, he’s been using all his strength to pay attention to her (because he’s not lying when he says he wants to hear the story) and it’s very hard to conceal the fact that her fingers keep dancing on his skin and it’s just incredible. Now that she stopped speaking all his attention is directed at that and he has a hard time concealing the way it makes him feel. The truth is he really doesn’t want to, he needs her to know he likes that so he closes her eyes and leans on her shoulder, making her laugh. “I thought you wanted to hear about how my voice affects the plants.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Your voice affects everyone, not just the plants. Just look at me Jules.” He says without filter, because he’s completely taken by her touch. He doesn’t want to take that back so he arranges himself to be closer to her lips and smiles. “I’m gonna kiss you now.”</p><p> </p><p>     “You took your time.” She answers, clearly amused by the whole situation.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m going to kiss you now because I want to see if your lips have the same effect on me as your voice has in your plants.” He explains, moving his face closer to hers.</p><p> </p><p>     “If you keep on talking you’re not…” He doesn’t let her finish; he’s kissing her before she can come up with something witty that’ll distract him.</p><p> </p><p>     This is most certainly not the kiss they shared last night, far from it. The way his hand goes to the back of her neck to keep her close while eventually his fingers make the way up to the back of her head, just to lose themselves in Julie’s hair. “God, that feels good!” Is all he can think, but is nothing compared to the way her lips feel against his; they are plump, sweet and with the taste of caramel in her mouth he feels it’s completely perfect. </p><p> </p><p>     Yeah, this is not last night’s kiss; it’s actually anything but. Which makes him want to laugh because they are in broad daylight so the kiss should be more tamed but then he feels her tongue and… Whatever, he doesn’t really care if anyone is watching them; he likes how this is going. He also likes that she seems to reciprocate that feeling, she’s making little noises that make him feel delighted. </p><p> </p><p>     Her mouth is a weapon, it could destroy Olympus, the Underworld and Tartarus while simultaneously rebuilding them into something better; something even more divine than it already was. That’s what she’s doing to him right now, she’s destroying every bit of him just to stitch him back together into someone better, someone who will make sure to do better everyday just to be able to deserve those lips. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s convinced she’s a witch now, because somehow she’s turned him into a different creature, no longer a god and much less a human man; but a creature who’s driven by one thing only: his desire to be next to her, to be worthy of her and her mouth and lips and body and soul. He wonders if he can be better or if that’s actually something he’ll never get to achieve: be worthy of her.</p><p> </p><p>     She nips her bottom lip and they separate, she’s catching her breath and he’s pretending to do the same while they process what just happened. He’s not scared of his thoughts, he’s not sure he can be afraid of the power she seems to harness against him because that kiss just made everything worth it.</p><p> </p><p>     “I can’t wait to do that again.” He says in a low hush, foreheads together and noses touching. She looks so pretty with her cheeks read, out of breath and lips slightly apart, he smiles taking her all in. </p><p> </p><p>     “Let’s not waste more time, then.” She answers before joining their lips once again, not giving a damn about the show they must be putting on for other people. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s hungry for more of her. </p><p> </p><p>     This human woman, small and delicate as any of the flowers in her store has made him hungry. This woman has shown herself to be so powerful she’s capable of pulling him out of the world of logic and reasoning, making him forget he should keep distance between them. </p><p>     Fuck distance, he just wants to be close to her and be able to enjoy her presence. </p><p>     He wants to be worthy but he’s also able to retain enough selfishness to let himself go and forget why this is wrong. </p><p>     Nothing wrong can taste like the caramel he perceives in her mouth. Nothing wrong can feel like her hand cupping his cheeks. Nothing wrong can feel like her nails leaving traces on his skin. He’s selfish and stubborn to believe this is wrong. </p><p> </p><p>     “Can I spend the rest of the day with you?” He asks after a while, foreheads touching again while his and plays with her hair.</p><p> </p><p>     “You can.” She says with a big smile, before rearranging their bodies to be able to lean on his shoulder, giving him plenty of space to keep on playing with her hair.</p><p> </p><p>     He has bowed to no one in his entire existence but Julie is powerful enough to make him want to bow to her. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>If you want to chat, I'm also on tumblr, <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> here</a> is my account.</p><p>While writing this fic I created a playlist of songs that I think capture the essence of the story as well as Julie and Luke's personalities here. If you want to listen, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> here</a> is the link!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. And you're makin' the typical me break my typical rules</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope that you are having a lovely day.<br/>Remember kudos and comments mean the world to me! </p><p>Chapter title is from Jonas Brothers' "Sucker".</p><p>Enjoy today's chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    Things start piling up after the second time he sees Julie. Because he sees her a third, a fourth, a fifth… you get the deal. Before he realizes it, the lines between his two identities begin to blur and he starts morphing into something less abstract and more tangible. He’s choosing who he is and it’s not Hades lord of darkness but instead he’s Luke Patterson, of 24 years old who plays the guitar for a living and only gets a smartphone because he wants to chat with her.</p><p> </p><p>     (“You’re such a grandpa!” She says when he announces his new purchase while she’s making arrangements for a baptism and yet, she still helps him set the whole thing up. That night, when he gets a message from her when he’s in the Underworld he can’t stop himself from jumping happily).</p><p> </p><p>     He does appreciate having a phone, mostly because he can take pictures of her and listen to music whenever he wants. When Reggie reminds him he’s been saying that all along Luke doesn’t even bother responding, he just plays a song on Spotify to drown his friend’s words.</p><p> </p><p>     But taking pictures of her takes the cake, definitely.</p><p> </p><p>     “Leave that thing alone, I brought you here to be the muscle and you can’t help if you are taking pictures of me!” She says one day when they are waiting in the parking lot of the Flower District to collect an order. He pouts and she rolls her eyes at him, unbothered by his puppy pleading eyes. “I mean that Luke! Robert is going to be here and I need your help, put those biceps to good use.”</p><p> </p><p>     “So you admit you only care about my biceps Jules, am I just a piece of meat to you?” He jokes and he can see in her facial expression that she’s fighting a smile. Smile or no smile she’s too cute anyways.</p><p> </p><p>     “You are a very annoying piece of meat.” Is her answer before a man, Robert, he assumes, appears with boxes for Julie. He manages to take a couple of pictures of her while she's distracted checking her new vases and thanks the guy before saying goodbye. That’s his cue to start loading the boxes into the flower shop’s van, aka the main reason Julie brought him along, or at least that’s what she says because he doesn’t miss the way she eyes him appreciatively while he moves the boxes.</p><p> </p><p>     However, instead of asking if she’s enjoying the view he asks something that’s on his mind since they arrived. “How come your shop is not here?” He clearly caught her off guard because he sees the way her eyes snap back to his face. He has to repeat the question, as she wasn’t really paying attention. He doesn’t mind though.</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, I thought about it but it felt weird being neighbors with someone who’s technically your competition. I love the place though. I love to come here and talk to florists but I like my place. I also got a good deal on the store thanks to tía Victoria, it beat this by a long run.” She explains and he nods, he likes the shop and he agrees that the fact that she’s not in the Flower District makes it stand out. Jule’s got a good deal indeed.</p><p> </p><p>     Once he’s finished loading the van he offers his arm out to her and smiles. “Can we walk around the place? I’ve never been in here.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, you deserve a break after all your hard work.” She says, grabbing his arm and standing on the tip of her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “Thanks for helping me.” She whispers in his ear and although he loves the kiss he just got, it’s not enough so he takes advantage of the moment and steals a proper kiss from her.</p><p> </p><p>     “That’s a proper thank you Jules, you should know that.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Duly noted.” She responds before kissing his cheek again, making them both laugh before she takes the lead to show him around.</p><p> </p><p>     He’s clearly biased and doesn't need to see much because he already thinks Julie’s place is better but he still enjoys walking around, even if he’s constantly whispering in her ear compliments to her store. He just doesn’t understand how her flowers are bigger and more colorful or how her plants are stronger and smell better. However, that doesn’t stop him from trying to buy her a bouquet, something he’s been unable to do because he doesn’t know a very important piece of information:</p><p> </p><p>     “What’s your favorite flower?” He asks when they are inside the cafe of the market, waiting in line for a drink.</p><p> </p><p>     “That’s easy, a dahlia.” She says and his face shows that he obviously doesn’t know that flower so she rushes to continue. “I’ll show you when we get back out there, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>     “That’ll be nice. You need to teach my ignorant ass.” He jokes before he orders a couple of cool lemonades and pays for them (Which is something he does now, apparently; although he’s still not completely comfortable with using money, it makes him feel weird). Once he’s finished paying he realizes something so he tries to get back to the subject: “Why did you say it was easy?”</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, well…” Suddenly she seems tense and he wonders if he said something inappropriate although it was just a simple question. But it’s very on brand for him to fuck things up without knowing. “It was my mom’s favorite flower.” Her voice is so small, almost inaudible, but he catches it anyways and feels terrible because of the implications of her words.</p><p> </p><p>     Her mom is down there in the Underworld. Her mom is one of the souls that make up his kingdom.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m so sorry…” That doesn’t even begin to cover it but he’s still compelled to say it.</p><p> </p><p>     “Thank you.” She says as they pick their drinks and they are about to head outside and see the flowers so he offers his hand instead of his arm, which she promptly takes. He squeezes it, before using his thumb to stroke her knuckles gently; it’s the least he can do. She smiles at her hands for a second, before catching his eyes. “It’s okay, really. You were bound to find out eventually, her name was Rose so the name of the store is a homage to her and… Well, she was the one who encouraged me to pursue music.” She explains once they are out of the cafe and back into what can only be described as flowerland.</p><p> </p><p>     “I would’ve loved to meet her, she sounds amazing.” He’s pretty sure he can look for her on the Underworld records but he won’t, it feels wrong to do that when Julie will be unable to see her mother ever again.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, she was amazing.” It’s all she says before pulling him to a store, seemingly less sad than a couple of minutes ago. “C’mmon, we need to put some flower knowledge into that thing you call a brain!” She announces and he lets her take the lead, completely delighted by every explanation, every story and every bit of knowledge she chooses to share with him.</p><p> </p><p>     When she shows him a dahlia he can totally understand why Julie and her mother like them that much. They are very beautiful, not as much as Julie but close enough. He makes a point in whispering that into her ear, tickling her a little bit. “Stop that! Next thing I know you will be saying that every time I show you a flower.” She swats him playfully but he can see the way she touches her cheeks, probably to cool them down.</p><p> </p><p>     “Jules, I’m not lying about this. I’m sorry if the flowers get mad at me but I’m just telling the truth, you are prettier!” He announces, clearly louder than he intended because Julie looks around embarrassed before resuming her walk.</p><p> </p><p>     “You are ridiculous Patterson, now move! We still have a lot to see.” She announces and he rushes to get to her side and rejoin their hands. He doesn’t apologize for his words but refrains from annoying her any further because when he buys her a bouquet he doesn’t want her to mistake it for an apology one.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s only an hour later, when Julie is distracted looking at different wedding props, that he gets a chance to escape for a few minutes, using the bathroom as an excuse, to get her a bunch of dahlias. He’s so excited he can’t help himself and tells the poor girl who helps him everything about Julie (He then proceeds to tip her accordingly, or at least that’s how he interprets the look of utter disbelief in the girl’s face).</p><p> </p><p>     When he gets back to Julie, she’s completely shocked about his gesture.</p><p> </p><p>        “Oh Luke, you didn’t have to…” She says and he shakes his head while depositing the dahlias in her arms.</p><p> </p><p>     “Nonsense. The only reason why I haven’t done this sooner is because I didn’t know any other place where I could get you flowers. It would’ve been a little bit uncomfortable to ask you to assemble your own bouquet.” He says and she’s not looking at him but at the dahlias that somehow seem brighter and prettier now that they are in her arms. “I hope you like it.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I mean it, you didn’t have to… But I’m glad you did. This is beautiful.” She answers and gives him a short kiss, before allowing him to take a million photos of her with the flowers.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     However, just like Alex warned him it’s not all smooth sailing. Even if he chooses to fake delusion and pretend everything will be fine.</p><p> </p><p>     They’ve been seeing each other for three weeks when Julie invites him to go to her place, which makes her ask about his own place. He can’t really talk about the Underworld so he makes up a lie about a crappy place he’s renting with the guys and how he’s longing to move to a better one. Once he’s finished talking he realizes that regardless of what may appear on the surface, it’s not a complete lie; he is living with the guys in what can only be described as the epitome of the crappy places and longs to live somewhere better. Is just the mythological aspect of it that makes the truth difficult for him to share with her.</p><p> </p><p>     He lets those thoughts get to the back seat once he realizes her place is actually upstairs from the store, which she points out is something he already knows but he doesn’t lie when he says he doesn’t remember. Thankfully she doesn’t seem mad.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s not much but I didn't really care. I was looking for a place to set up the shop and this just felt like a bonus.” She explains once they climb the stairs and she opens the door to let him in. He stops in the entrance and lets his eyes roam the place freely. It doesn’t take him long to realize the whole place is so incredibly Julie’s he can’t help but to smile.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s exactly what he imagined her place would be. Just like the flower shop has her distinctive touch, her home also screams Julie from each corner. It's a sharp contrast to the Underworld, a place that's an oxymoron in and out of itself; it’s supposed to be home but doesn’t fully feel homely. It’s the place where his best friends live but also the place he is by obligation. It's the place he plays music but only because he’s unable to tour the world.</p><p> </p><p>     He can’t help but hate the fact that everywhere there are constant reminders of why he and Julie should not be happening in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>     He opens his mouth, about to compliment her decorating touch when he feels something soft is making contact with his legs. When he looks down he can see a cat walking in between his feet. Did Julie ever mention a cat? Is this something else he’s forgetting? He doesn’t get a chance to freak out about his stupid memory because Julie rushes to his side.</p><p> </p><p>     “Ah! This is Carlos. I hope you are not allergic.” She says, picking the furry friend up. Luke can't even answer the question because he’s focused on the name, raising his eyebrow as if saying ‘Really?’. That makes her laugh. “He was found in the back alley of my dad's bakery, he couldn't keep it for health reasons so he gave it to me.” That still doesn’t answer his question so he gestures with his hands to make her continue a smirk forming in his face, she’s clearly avoiding the subject but he’s not letting her off the hook. She rolls her eyes at him but continues anyways. “Years ago dad said to me that if he and my mom had had more kids they would've used the name Carlos if they had a boy. When he gave it to me he said it could be like having a little brother. He was right because Carlos is dorky, lovable and sometimes a tad annoying. Those are all characteristics of a little brother.” She concludes and he has to agree.</p><p> </p><p>     Cerberus is definitely not going to like this new smell but he likes Julie the human and she likes Carlos the cat, so his dog doesn’t get a say in this.</p><p> </p><p>     “No, I’m not allergic.” He comments, stepping closer to her and taking Carlos out of her hands to look at him properly. He has beautiful grey skin and pretty amber eyes. “I just always thought I was more of a dog person, but I like this little dude.” He explains, before directing his view to her, just in time for Julie to take a picture of him and Carlos. He’s about to complain when she shakes her head.</p><p> </p><p>     “You do this all the time, so don’t you even dare! Besides, you look cute together.” He can’t really say anything after that because all he can hear is ‘You look cute’. She takes that as her opportunity to show him around. “Again, there’s not much to look at but I love it here. It’s very different from the house I grew up in but it’s mine and I was able to decorate it and do whatever I like with it.”</p><p> </p><p>     He knows she said there wasn’t much but he fundamentally disagrees. There’s plenty and it's all Julie’s, that’s enough for him.</p><p>     He recognizes her doodles in the walls and she confirms that yes, that’s her own artwork in the walls (the same one that embellishes the store).</p><p>     He examines some of her books and is fascinated to see a mix of poetry, herbology and fiction. He points to Mary Oliver’s ‘Dream work’ a favorite of his and she gives him Elizabeth Acevedo’s ‘The poet X’ for him to read. He also wants to check her music collection but she stirs him away from that corner, claiming that she refuses to be judged in her own house. (He doesn’t say he probably won’t be able to find any flaws in her taste).</p><p>     He notices the pictures on top of her drawers; he can’t help but smile at the sight of a young Julie in front of a piano because he thinks she’s adorable. That picture is accompanied by two others, one of her with her dad and tía in front of the store clearly on the day of the inauguration and another one that depicts a young Julie with a woman in a field of dahlias. It’s beautiful.</p><p> </p><p>     “That’s my mom. It’s my favorite picture of us.” She explains, leaning on his shoulder and he changes Carlos to his other arm, keeping one free to be able to give her a side hug. He knows it’s been a while but he doesn’t like the reminder that her mom is not there to see what an accomplished woman her daughter turned out to be. He’s pretty sure Rose knows, though.</p><p> </p><p>     They stay like that for a while until Carlos wiggles out of Luke’s arm, clearly bored by the whole situation. “Would you look at that? He doesn’t appreciate my arms.” He jokes watching as the cat takes his spot on the couch, clearly thinking he deserves that much space.</p><p> </p><p>     “I think you’ll survive. Besides, not everyone can have good taste!” She jokes, still glued to his side.</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t say anything else and decides to just enjoy having her by his side. The silence also gives him the opportunity to take another look around the place. He suspects there’s so much to discover and desperately wishes he’s able to come back and see Julie in the comfort of her own home. He’s been able to appreciate it as a business owner and boss, as a performer, as his date and overall as a human being, but he’s never seen her at her own place and he feels honored that she’s willing to share the space with him.</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t feel like he deserves it and that’s before she asks something that makes him feel even less deserving of her:</p><p> </p><p>     “Would you like to stay the night?”</p><p> </p><p>     She’s still pressed against his right side; his arm is still holding her by the waist so she can definitely feel him shiver after he listens to the question. His throat feels dry and he looks down at her face because he’s not expecting that. He’s also not expecting to feel like this because he definitely wants to have sex with her and become the explorer he thought himself to be when they first met and completely delve into her body. He wants to kiss every inch of her and make her feel pleasure like never before. He wants her to feel like the goddess he thinks she is.</p><p> </p><p>     But even if he does want those things he’s also been reluctant to do it because it feels unfair. He’s already bending the truth and lying to her, he would feel disgusted with himself if he crossed that line; Julie deserves to sleep with someone knowing full well who that person is. He can’t do that to her, even if he’s preventing himself from something he wants. He’s already being selfish enough by spending time with her; this would be a line he wouldn’t be able to uncross.  </p><p> </p><p>     He’s about to open his mouth and reject her when he hears her laugh. That sound has enough power to pause whatever is going to his head.</p><p> </p><p>     “Get your mind out of the gutter Patterson!” She says, patting him playfully in the chest before smiling at him (It occurs to him that that smile could cure ailments, as it’s certainly curing his own). “I should warn you though, my intentions are not completely selfless… I do want to cuddle.” She whispers that last part, making him want to smile.</p><p> </p><p>     That settles it then, he’s staying the night. He just hopes he’s strong enough to survive it if he’s going to be in a bed with Julie during the night.  </p><p> </p><p>     He eagerly nods and she gives him a short kiss before grabbing her pj’s and going to the bathroom. Being alone lets him deflate right next to Carlos on the couch, but the cat sprints as soon as Luke sits as if he’s able to smell his internal turmoil. What a traitor.</p><p> </p><p>     Without Julie out there to witness his shaken state, he lets himself let go for a second; closing his eyes and resting his face in his hands, groaning silently and berating himself about what just happened. He knows he should be counting his blessings and thanking destiny or fate that she mistook his nervousness with eagerness. He’s so thankful it clouds the fact that he should feel at least a little bit (a lot) of shame.</p><p> </p><p>     He shouldn’t be there and yet...</p><p> </p><p>     When she opens the bathroom door she’s dressed in comfy shorts and a tank top with her hair in two braids that make her look gorgeous. He doesn’t get to voice that out loud because she speaks first. “Are you planning on sleeping with your jeans on?”</p><p> </p><p>     He looks at himself and shrugs. “It’s not like I brought any clothes with me.”</p><p> </p><p>     He should leave. He should be standing up and making up an excuse and...</p><p> </p><p>     “Well you can lose the jeans… and even if the cutoff is mostly decorative you can also ditch it.” She says before pointing to a toothbrush for him to use later.</p><p> </p><p>     Yeah, he’s obviously not going to leave, especially now that she left the opportunity to joke right there for him to take advantage.</p><p> </p><p>     “Jules, if you wanted to see me without my shirt all you had to do is say the word.” He jokes, feeling very grateful about the opportunity to mess with her and properly ignore the awful feeling that is consuming him. He’s taking off his Vans and socks when he hears her chuckle at his comment.</p><p> </p><p>     “Please Luke, calling that a shirt is an exaggeration.” It’s all she says before going to her kitchen to pour water in Carlos' bowl and check his sandbox. When she pops back up to look at him he’s only in his boxers and she takes in the view, not even trying to conceal that what she’s doing is not very PG-13.  </p><p> </p><p>     He should’ve left, definitely.</p><p> </p><p>     If she keeps looking at him like this, the night is going to be very long and very hard on his part (pun intended). So he takes matters into his own hands (because at least he can have mercy on himself since she’s clearly not having an ounce of it) and walks to be closer to her, offering his hand out. “C’mmon, if you stay there I’m gonna claim the whole bed for myself.”</p><p> </p><p>     She takes it and squeezes lightly as she smiles at him. Together they walk to the bed and she leads him to the right side of it. “As if Carlos would allow that. He thinks he owns this place.”</p><p> </p><p>     “That doesn’t surprise me in the least.”</p><p> </p><p>     Even if she takes the left side and he takes the right one, they end up in the middle with her sprawled on top of him with his arms locking her in place. He’s happy, ecstatic even, to finally confirm that her skin is incredibly soft and smooth; a pleased sound escapes his lips before he can contain it and she laughs softly at him.</p><p> </p><p>     “Thank you for cuddling with me.” She says before kissing his chest lightly and he has to contain himself and react like a normal person because he’s pretty sure his heart is beating like thunder.</p><p> </p><p>     It doesn’t go through his head that he doesn’t really have a heart because he’s pretty sure he does have one, for her.</p><p>        </p><p>     He’s afraid to say anything out loud so he just kisses her forehead in response, letting himself become the explorer he once envisioned he’d be of her body. Even if this isn’t what he expected when he first thought of that, it doesn’t deter him to search for other moles or marks in her body, which he finds and touches softly. He lets himself touch her neck and examine her necklaces but when he’s about to ask about those and why it’s important for her to sleep in them, she’s already half asleep.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey Julie?” He asks softly, afraid of yanking her out of her slumber. She doesn’t really use words to answer, mumbling something against his chest, which confirms that she’s no longer conscious of what’s going on. “I just wanted to say you look very beautiful right now.”</p><p> </p><p>     She doesn’t answer and he kisses her hair before trying to get some rest. He’ll tell her again tomorrow.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     He lays in his bed. Although by a general rule he doesn't need to sleep, right now he desperately wants to rest, which is ironic because he spent the night at Julie’s but instead of being relaxed and happy he’s tense and happy. Even if he liked being next to her it was very hard not to get aroused by her body laying on top of him.</p><p> </p><p>     Not for the first time since he met her, he’s grateful at the fact that even if sleep is only for the dead, the boys convinced him it would be nice to have a place to rest. Even if most of the time he’s convinced the whole thing was just a ruse led by Reggie to have another mattress to jump in (A mattress that took them too much time to assemble. How many gods do you need to assemble an IKEA bed you might ask? Three and a Willie!) he’s grateful to have a bed.</p><p> </p><p>     Even if a bed is what got him into the state he’s in.</p><p> </p><p>     After sometime he gets tired of tossing and turning so he grabs his notebook from his desk and opens up a new page, he needs an outlet to his feelings and what better way to do that than with music?</p><p> </p><p>     And so he starts writing ‘Bittersweet love story about a girl…’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>If you want to chat, I'm also on tumblr, <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> here</a> is my account.</p><p>While writing this fic I created a playlist of songs that I think capture the essence of the story as well as Julie and Luke's personalities here. If you want to listen, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> here</a> is the link!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. There's something tragic about you, something so magic about you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Sunday everyone! </p><p>Today's chapter title is from Hozier's "From Eden".</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     He’s never met anyone like Julie.</p><p> </p><p>     Well, the truth is that that is an understatement. He’s never really met a human, period. All of the relationships he’s maintained with men and women throughout the centuries have been completely utilitarian; either he wants music or pleasure. With Julie, he’s not looking precisely to gain something, he’s just happy to be near her.</p><p> </p><p>     At least ninety-nine percent of time. </p><p> </p><p>     It's during a date, in the middle of a regular Wednesday that he comes face to face with himself... in a manner of speaking. They're at the LACMA having a date, exchanging opinions, appreciating and making fun of art when he notices there’s a painting depicting him in all of his gore and glory, as the king of the underworld. </p><p> </p><p>     He realizes it’s part of a new exhibition because if it was part of the permanent collection he’d never set foot again in the museum; he has a personal rule of avoiding any place that contains any depictions of him because that’s enough to sour his mood. This one is not different from any others and he fucking hates it. It’s just as wrong as every depiction of him that ever was. If he could actually experience sickness he would feel sick right this second.</p><p> </p><p>     However, in the middle of his wallowing he gets an idea, because Julie’s presence is powerful enough to take him out of his misery, right? For the first time he’s wrong about being happy around Julie.</p><p> </p><p>     He stirs Julie to what could be considered a portrait of himself and once they are right in front of it he asks, “What do you think about it?” His voice sounds normal and doesn’t reveal his true feelings about it, despite how much he hates that this is how humans see him.</p><p> </p><p>     At first, Julie’s voice does the trick and takes him out of his anger-induced stupor. Of course.</p><p> </p><p>     “I think it’s fine. To be perfectly honest never really gave that much thought to mythology, you know? My mom always said it was better to focus on the present, on the here and now.” He focuses on her instead of the canvas she’s studying so intently. That gives him free range to just observe her and he immediately notices her sad smile which makes him want to hit himself in the face; of course a painting about the god of death would remind her of her late mother. He’s about to apologize when she resumes, “I guess I would ask him if she’s okay. I hope she gets to be happy and at peace wherever she is.”</p><p> </p><p>     Right now he wishes he could tell her the first thing he’s going to do when he gets back to his kingdom is look for Rose’s soul and take her to Elysium in case she’s not already there. He’s willing to break his own silent promise to himself of staying away just because he loves Julie so much and wants to make her wish come true.</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t clock the verb he just used about his feelings for her because he’s too busy wrapping her in his arms and holding her close. He hopes that’s enough, at least for now.</p><p> </p><p>     They stay like that for a while, just a couple of weirdos hugging and holding each other in front of a painting about the lord of darkness. But he can feel Jule’s heartbeat against his chest and her little breaths that kind of tickle his neck, just like some rebellious hairs that caress his jawline. He’s not going to move and end this moment. </p><p>           </p><p>     Eventually they do, though. He hates it and makes her know that with a groan. She responds by giving him a short kiss and taking his hand so that they can continue exploring the place. </p><p> </p><p>     It’s not until hours later than he asks a question that's been in the back of his mind for a while: “I know you said you don’t know much about mythology. But do you have a favorite god?” </p><p> </p><p>     She looks at him for a second and shrugs “I guess if I had to pick one it would be Apollo? Because he’s the god of music and dance.” She says that as if it’s nothing but Luke has never heard more horrible words.</p><p> </p><p>     Apollo? Fuck that bitch. </p><p> </p><p>     His sour mood returns at that and he cannot blame anyone but himself and his big mouth because no one made him ask Julie anything. The mood stays and starts to leave him when she proposes they share a smoothie at In-N-Out but only completely disappears when they have an impromptu writing session. </p><p> </p><p>     “Last night when I was doing inventory I started this, the words wouldn’t leave my head.” She says while looking for her phone to show him the lyrics. “I wanted to see what you think.”</p><p> </p><p>     He’s always written with Reggie and Alex (with the occasional input from Willie) so this is a completely uncharted territory but can hen feel excited because she wants to write music with him and that has to be one of the highest forms of compliment she can give him. However, he needs to double check so he puts his hand on top of her free one trying to be comforting.</p><p> </p><p>     “Are you sure? You don’t really need a writing partner.” He remembers when she told him, once he knew what happened to Rose, that they used to write music together and how after her mother’s passing, whenever she wrote she did alone, as she wanted to keep the act of writing music entwined with the memory and love she has for her mom.</p><p> </p><p>     “I don’t need one you are right about that, but this is not a matter of needing something, it’s a matter of wanting something. I want to write together, if you’d like.” She says and that settles it for Luke; she wants him so of course she’ll have him, all of him.</p><p> </p><p>     “Okay boss!” He kisses the back of her hand and smiles at her, delighted at this turn of events. “Show me what you’ve got.” He says, eager to create music with Julie.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     Even if things with Julie are amazing and he's able to ignore the pressing reality of it all when they are together; the spell is broken as soon as he’s alone with his thoughts. But especially if he’s with the guys. He swears that he’s not avoiding his friends on purpose but they haven’t really seen each other in a while. Sure, they perform almost every weekend and hang out after but Julie is always with them and while his friends don’t complain (they actually get along perfectly, something that makes Luke very happy) he knows they are long overdue for a guy’s night out.</p><p> </p><p>     On a Saturday night where he might find himself spending time with Julie, he decides to make plans to spend time with Alex and Reggie, letting the latter choose the place. That’s why they find themselves at the beach drinking beers and joking around until there’s no more joking around.</p><p> </p><p>     This is on him. He should’ve seen this coming.</p><p> </p><p>     “Luke, we need to talk about this and you know it.” Says Alex with so much seriousness in his tone he has to fight the urge of sitting up straight. “We get that Julie makes you happy but…”</p><p> </p><p>     He groans. “But what? I'm not allowed to be happy?” The question makes him feel like a toddler but he’s trying to echo the words uttered by Reggie almost seven weeks ago to remind them they once supported this whole endeavor. </p><p> </p><p>     His friends share a look and he’s not an idiot; he knows this might be the first time they bring up the subject to him but this is something they have definitely talked about it with each other. He doesn't like to feel left out; these two people are his brothers and they are talking about him behind his back? He’s being ridiculous and he knows it but it's just such a blow to his gut he can't help it.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yes Luke you deserve to be happy.” Says Reggie, trying to maintain a relative peace. He seems pained by what he’s about to say, Luke notices, so it makes sense that they should stop and change the subject right? He can keep pretending… No such luck.  “But you also can’t ignore the fact that there are consequences to your actions.”</p><p> </p><p>     The ugly truth is finally out there, someone voiced it out loud and now he can’t run from it. That hideous monster he’s managed to keep at bay in a small closet at the back of his mind, so far away it let’s him convince himself that the breathing down his neck he experiences from time to time is just his paranoia. But now Reggie has let the monster out of the closet and they are standing face to face so Luke has no option but to confront the truth he’s been running from this past few weeks: humans who are the subjects of gods love never have a happy ending. </p><p> </p><p>     It’s that simple. </p><p>     The truth is rarely simple but this time it is.</p><p> </p><p>     He knows he shouldn’t have let this go on for this long because there are consequences to his behavior that won’t affect him but it will certainly affect Julie and there’s nothing he can do to stop that, he’s not powerful enough to protect her and that’s why he should leave her alone for her own sake. The only way of protecting Julie is leaving her alone. </p><p> </p><p>     Yet he’s selfish because he has never met anyone like her, he doesn’t want to let go of all the happiness she’s brought him. He needs to say that out loud, his friends need to know.</p><p> </p><p>     “I don’t want to leave her. She makes me happy.” He sobs before laying in the sand, without caring about how later he’ll probably complain about finding sand everywhere. His friends arrange his body to have his head on Alex’s lap and legs on Reggie’s. They are the best and he’s thankful for them even if they are telling him things he doesn’t want to hear. </p><p> </p><p>     “We know Luke; we would like for things to be different but…” Alex sighs while petting his head. He knows his friends are just looking out for him, it’s not like they enjoy popping his balloon of happiness. </p><p> </p><p>     “We just don’t want a tragedy in our hands, especially if it involves Julie. She’s amazing.” Comments Reggie, while opening another round of beers for everyone to drink. </p><p> </p><p>     Luke agrees with his friend but only halfway there because she’s beyond amazing. The longer he’s known her he’s witnessed how incredible that woman is in every aspect of her life.</p><p> </p><p>     She’s a dedicated worker and a kind boss who is sweet and understanding but is fiercely protective of her craft and her workers. She motivates them to work hard and has built her business with hard work and a terrific work ethic. </p><p>     She’s a devoted daughter and niece, always looking after her dad and tía and making efforts to see them as much as she can, taking an active effort to be a part of their lives. Not because she feels obligated but simply because she loves her family so deeply.</p><p>     She’s an incredible girlfriend to him. She’s understanding and loving but also someone who demands respect in a partner and doesn't let him get away with bullshit just because he has nice arms. She makes him laugh and feel appreciated, she makes him feel like he’s never felt: alive.</p><p>     She’s a nice person; she’s friendly and just a likable woman overall. He’s constantly mesmerized by her. </p><p> </p><p>     “To Julie!” He says, raising his beer and proposing a toast. His friends follow suit and drink in honor of the woman who changed his entire existence.</p><p> </p><p>     He knows he doesn’t deserve her; he knows that he can’t continue to over indulge in this fantasy he’s living.</p><p>     He hates that. </p><p> </p><p>     His friends know better than to try to cheer him up, so they just stay in the same position while drinking and making comments to distract him. He’s not really in the mood to interject or really contribute to anything so they let him be, which is the worst decision they can make because he gets so lost inside his own train of thoughts he’s sure he’s sweating anxiety. </p><p> </p><p>     When he started seeing Julie he never expected to have a happy ending with her, not as a result of his immortal status but simply because he doesn’t expect her to choose him to spend the rest of their lives together. He didn’t expect marriage or kids but purely because he assumes eventually Julie will find the actual person she wants to share her life with. It’s not a matter of him being a god but rather a case of facing reality: not every relationship is forever and theirs, with the added circumstances, is not meant to endure the trials and tribulations of life. </p><p> </p><p>     Their relationship has always had an expiration date, he’s just been running from it, expecting that, if he’s fast enough, he’d be able to extend it. But now Alex and Reggie remind him he can’t keep stretching time. </p><p> </p><p>     Without making an effort to hide it, he starts to cry, he can’t help it. </p><p> </p><p>     He never expected it to go like this: too soon for his liking and with the roles reversed; because yeah, in his imagination Julie breaks his heart (the one she planted and grew herself inside of his body) and goes on to live the rest of her life happily ever after. He doesn’t want to break her heart, especially because if he does he’s going to feed her more bullshit than he already has (which seems fitting but he berates himself for ever thinking that).</p><p> </p><p>     He’s a god, a king and yet he’s being reduced to nothing at the perspective of breaking up with Julie. He gets now why love has been one of the main reasons behind every catastrophe ever witnessed in the history of humanity. He also gets why humans tend to crave it above all. </p><p> </p><p>     Luke hates that he gets it. He would’ve been fine without ever finding out.</p><p> </p><p>     He decides to drink because that’s his plan to forget the pain he’s feeling right now and he drinks so much he pushes the boundaries to what’s possible, behaving as if he were actually drunk after drinking more beers than ever in his life. His friends let him, because they can’t bear the sight of his friend being in pain and simply conclude that it’s best not to deny him anything else, at least not right now he’s grieving.</p><p> </p><p>     At some point after midnight he leaves a bunch of messages on Julie’s phone, so out of himself that they are just as indecipherable as his handwriting but somehow she understands he’s trying to tell her that he’s sad and misses her; she explains that when she calls him the next day just to make fun of his moping and reassure him that they can see each other soon.</p><p> </p><p>     He laughs along but he’s not fooling himself, there’s nothing real about his laughter.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     He’s determined to right his wrongs and break up with her even if it kills him but when he goes to see her, a couple of days after his outing with the boys, he loses all the strength he’d been mustering to actually leave her. </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t do it, so he doesn’t. Even if the guilt eats him up inside. </p><p> </p><p>     But sometimes it’s easy to ignore the guilt and all the negative aspects he’s running from; especially when she’s around. She just has to smile at him or simply hug him tightly or just take his hand in hers… When she’s around he’s so drunk on her it’s easy for the hideous monster to remain far away from him. </p><p> </p><p>     Like right now, he’s sitting on the floor in the middle of Julie's living room with Carlos on his lap and she's in front of him playing the keyboard, completely lost in her task. Her hair is pulled back in a high ponytail but a couple of rebel locks mesmerize him with their movements. She’s completely in the zone, with her eyes closed and her nose slightly scrunched. She’s so out of it she’s biting her lip in concentration and he’s just happy to be making music with her. He doesn’t care if he's a god, or that he’s supposed to break up with her.</p><p> </p><p>     Because that's when it hits him. </p><p>     He loves her. </p><p> </p><p>     There's a quote by Jane Austen he's always liked, it’s about falling in love and about not fixating in the precise moment when love hits but understanding later on, when it had been going on for a while. He’s always thought it was very beautiful and poetic (in Austen’s words of course, not his own crappy ones). Although he liked it; he didn't, couldn't really, understand it, because he’d never felt romantic love for someone else.</p><p> </p><p>     Now he understands it completely.</p><p> </p><p>     He might not have fixated on the hour; probably around ten p.m.</p><p>     Or the spot; presumably Eats &amp; Beats. </p><p>     Or the look; possibly when their eyes connected across the venue.</p><p>     Or the words; definitely when she introduced herself a week later.</p><p> </p><p>     But this, right now, a Monday morning when she’s still in her PJ’s is the moment he knows he loves her. </p><p> </p><p>     It’s also the moment he realizes she can never know the depths of his feelings. </p><p>     His love for her is the main reason he should be breaking things up right now; it’s also the main reason why he can’t.</p><p> </p><p>     He’s never loved anyone this way. Sure, he loves the guys and he also loves music as well but it’s not the same. They haven’t crawled up inside him and planted seeds and made something grow: he has a heart now because of Julie. A heart that beats because of her, he loves her because she bewitched his body and soul. </p><p> </p><p>     “You know when you look at me like that I begin to think Nick and Bobby are right.” She says, taking him out of his reverie. He blinks multiple times, trying to land safely back in reality but he still doesn’t understand what the hell she’s talking about. She extends her arm and removes some hairs from his forehead. God he loves her; why did it take him this long to catch up with his feelings? “They say when you look at me you have heart eyes, as if you were a cartoon. I always thought those were exaggerations but I guess I can see it now.” She says, smiling at him, hand still in his hair. He’s still trying to process what just hit him and he’s afraid to open his mouth because he knows he’ll blurt it out so he just smiles back at her. “I think it’s cute.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Thanks.” It’s all he manages to say but he’s unable to meet her eyes when he speaks. She moves her hand from his hair to his chin, raising it so that they can be at eye level. Her eyes examine him for a second before finally speaking</p><p> </p><p>     “Is everything alright? I was expecting you’d crack a joke at that.” He shakes his head, still unsure of what to say. He can’t tell her the truth and he’ll feel physically sick if he has to add another lie to his list. “It must be really bad to keep you from doing music.” She concludes.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s obvious something is going on but he’s thankful that she doesn’t pressure him to speak; instead, she just leaves the keyboard aside and sits on the floor, back against the couch. He just looks at her without realizing what she’s doing, only when she gestures at her lap that it finally clicks so he crawls to it, resting his head in it. “I’m sorry, I know we were supposed to work on that song together.” He apologizes once he’s settled and feels her fingers run freely through his hair. That makes him feel relaxed and definitely helps with his own emotional state. </p><p> </p><p>     “It’s okay. We can do that another time.” She promises him clearly enjoying playing with his hair. She doesn’t stay there, though; eventually her fingers start to stroke every part of his face, his temple, his eyebrows, his eyes, his lips… He can’t help but smile at her, mouthing a ‘thank you’ as she follows along to his neck and then arms. He gets goose bumps when she touches his neck and giggles when she reaches the inside of his bicep. </p><p> </p><p>     After a while he changes positions, no longer resting in her lap he’s sitting by her side, facing her completely. He needs to say something and he needs to capture her complete attention.</p><p> </p><p>     “I wanted to let you know that the past few months have been some of the most amazing ones of my life Julie.” He says while looking directly into her eyes; he needs her to know this, he needs her to understand. “I know you think I’m always exaggerating but I mean it. I relish our time together always, doesn’t matter what because…” He hesitates because the words are right there, but no, he can’t. “Because I think you’re like one of your flowers, you make me happy and brighten every room you are in. I appreciate you letting me be a part of your life.”</p><p> </p><p>     Julie beams at him but he can tell she’s surprised by his words and he is as well, just as both of them were surprised after he was brutally honest with her about her singing the first night they met. He takes her hand and kisses it, as if to seal his words. He will continue, he wasn’t going to but there’s something inside of him that pushes him to do so:</p><p> </p><p>     “I don’t know if I could say there was a life before meeting you because that would be a lie. I am amnesiac about everything that happened before you and I’m glad for that. I’ve been doing a shit job at living a life but because of you I want to make the most of every day, because I'm actually truly, incredibly happy. You make life worth living Julie and I need you to know how thankful I am for that.”</p><p> </p><p>     A beat passes. </p><p>     His own heart's.</p><p>     Silence.</p><p>     Did he go too far? </p><p> </p><p>     She’s speechless with both eyes full of unshed tears and it takes her a moment to ask, so quiet it’s barely a whisper: “What brought this up?” </p><p> </p><p>     “I just wanted, no, I need you to know. I never said that out loud.” It’s all he says now with her hand between his. He can’t tell her there’s more behind his words, she doesn’t need to hear that he loves her; as far as he knows he’s loved her since he saw her and in the two months they’ve been together he’s been, unknowingly, showing her in every possible way. He will never say it out loud, these words will forever be the closest thing he gets to a declaration, but he hopes his behavior and gestures make her feel loved and that even if they never see each other again she can go back and remember the feeling of being loved. </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t, he won’t say he’s in love but he hopes she feels it anyways. If anyone deserves to be loved is Julie Molina.</p><p> </p><p>     “I don’t know what prompted this but you should know that our two months together also mean a lot to me. You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met Luke. There’s something about you, you know? You’re so alive it’s contagious, it’s electric. It’s the first thing that’s made me truly happy in years, at least besides my flowers.”</p><p> </p><p>     He started caressing her face in the middle of her words and almost instinctively she did the same, now that she stopped talking he realizes both of them seem wrecked; as if his love suddenly became a class four hurricane and to save themselves they decided to cling to each other. So, he opens his arms and surrounds her in an embrace placing her into his chest. </p><p> </p><p>     They stay like that for a really long time, the only sounds in the room coming from the erratic beating of both of their hearts. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>If you want to chat, I'm also on tumblr, <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> here</a> is my account.</p><p>While writing this fic I created a playlist of songs that I think capture the essence of the story as well as Julie and Luke's personalities here. If you want to listen, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> here</a> is the link!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Where was my fault in loving you with my whole heart?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everybody! I can't believe we're halfway there! </p><p>Chapter title is from Mumford and Sons': "White blank page". As you can see, I'm obsessed with their music and many songs shaped this story; this is not the last time I will be using their songs as a chapter title, he.</p><p>I hope you enjoy the chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     He should’ve seen it coming but, after realizing he loves Julie he’s not been able to think about anything else.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s been four days, sixteen hours and some minutes since he realized that he loves her and he hasn’t seen her because he doesn’t know what he’ll do when they see each other again. So he’s been burying himself with work and taking time to check that everything is going fine with the souls and the other gods. He does such a great job focusing on his chores and avoiding thinking about Julie, that when he comes face to face with an unexpected surprise he feels as if he’d been slapped in the cheek. How fucked up it is that that’s what he feels when he sees his parents? </p><p> </p><p>     “Hades.” Is the way his father greets him. He has to use all of his strength to keep himself from saying that he doesn’t go by that name anymore. It won’t do him any good, if his parents are here it’s better to just play along until they leave him alone and he wants that to happen as fast as possible. </p><p> </p><p>     “It’s nice to see you’re in the underworld and performing your duties.” That’s the first thing his mother decides to say to him after decades of silence, great. The worst part is that he knows it’s bound to go downhill from there. </p><p> </p><p>     His relationship with his parents has never been good, especially after he decided to ditch his obligations from time to time and indulge in the human world. After they discovered their son’s mischiefs and realized there was nothing they could do to keep him from leaving his obligations their relationship became downright horrible and both parties started going longer periods without seeing each other. He personally wouldn’t mind not seeing them again for another millennia but here they are and there’s nothing he can do to avoid them. So, he wordlessly leads them to a chamber he designated to be his ‘office’ a.k.a the place where he’s apparently capable of having a human headache and eventually uses to accommodate the eventual god who ventures down there. </p><p> </p><p>     He lets them get comfortable in their seats, simply waiting for them to speak but they don’t do it right away, which gets on his nerves. He was right about something when he realized that place was one of the main sources of his discomfort. </p><p> </p><p>     “Well, you tell me what brought you here.” He crosses his arms, still waiting for them but his parents still answer him with silence and so, before he loses what little patience he has, he excuses himself from the room and goes to look for some nectar and ambrosia, thinking that maybe when he goes back they’ll be ready to speak or, better yet, left the place without saying goodbye. </p><p> </p><p>     A god can dream, okay? </p><p> </p><p>     He puts the tray on the table without much care and takes his seat, wordlessly letting them know he’s not going to have more patience with them. That apparently does the trick and his father speaks. </p><p> </p><p>     “We came to see you because it has reached our ears that apparently you’ve been… For lack of a better word, dating a human girl.” He explains in a calm manner, using the voice he resorts to when sharing the prophetic wisdom he’s known for. </p><p> </p><p>     After hearing his father, Luke maintains a stoic front and tries to hide what he’s experiencing. There was annoyance at his parents presence but now that they finally revealed the reason they visited he feels confused and angry. Why do they know about Julie and, more importantly, why do they care? He gets that he should take the opportunity of two more voices joining the chant for him to leave her but he hates doing what his parents want, especially because he doesn’t understand the why of it all and he’s not going to ask mostly because he knows they won’t tell him. </p><p> </p><p>     “We need you to stop that immediately. It’s one thing that you choose to delegate your responsibilities and take off regularly to go and interact with humans but another one is to actually pursue that human girl. You need to drop this, Hades.” He looks at her mother and although he’s enraged about her attempt to make him desist he can’t help but to be himself and try to stir the conversation elsewhere. He's not sure where this enjoyable chat is going and doesn’t like the idea of walking in the dark, so he shares nothing. They do not get to know anything about him and Julie.</p><p> </p><p>     “After all these years you really think you can bend me to your will mother? I thought you were supposed to know better than this.” When he says he’s not evil or vicious he’s right, but when it comes to his parents… Inwardly he sighs because he wishes it wasn’t like this but the three of them are immortal beings and they are too stubborn and know how to hold grudges. He wishes he could love them or at least tolerate them, but that bridge burned eons ago. “Aren’t you supposed to be a font of knowledge? Then you must already know this one: I won’t do it.”</p><p> </p><p>     “This isn’t a request, it’s an order son.” Says his father taking over after his mother failed to get him to understand. “You will do as we are telling you, it’s not up for discussion.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I thought you guys knew this already but there’s no changing my mind. Especially not about her.” He remains strong in his position yet he can’t help but wonder why he’s entertaining them. He could leave or could make them leave… He guesses there is still an ounce of respect for them. How long will it last? He’s unsure. </p><p> </p><p>     “Look, we know you’re unhappy here and you blame us. You can do that if you want but Luke…” He can’t help but to break his facade at the sound of his chosen name. They have never used it and he guesses his mother is only using it to manipulate him. “You need to stop whatever relationship you have with Julie Molina. We know you think badly of us but this is us trying to warn you not to go down that road. She’s not for you.”</p><p><br/>     That hurts him because, once again he’s reminded him that his relationship with Julie is wrong. Reggie and Alex at least did it with care, unlike his parents who are supposed to love him the most and yet they just go to his kingdom and start making (very reasonable) demands without giving him an explanation. He stays silent because he knows he’ll end it and they’ll get what they want, he’s just trying to buy himself some time, but they don't need to know that. </p><p> </p><p>     Suddenly, he realizes this little reunion has lasted too long and it has been more intense than he expected. He stands from his seat and looks at them in the eyes, “Everything in the Underworld is in order so if there’s nothing else… Mitch, Emily.” He says with a smile mostly to mask his rage and anger by annoying them with the names he and his friends baptized them once they swapped theirs for human ones. Even in his state he takes pleasure in seeing the disgust in his parents faces. “Can’t say I loved this family meeting so please let’s not do this for another century or two. Heck, let’s try and not this ever again, how about that?” He doesn’t stay to hear their answer, he just rushes past them to go to his room to change his clothes and go to the only place he wants to be right now: Julie’s arms. </p><p> </p><p>     While he changes outfits he wonders what would’ve happened if his parents had participated in the Titanomachy alongside the rest of the Titans. He knows they would've ended up taking residence in the Tartarus, just like everyone who confronted and were eventually defeated by the gods, but he wonders if he’d still exist. Maybe it would’ve been better that way; better for them because they wouldn’t have a son who is a huge disappointment and better for him because that way he wouldn’t exist and he’s sure everyone wins at that outcome.</p><p> </p><p>     But alas, Coeus and Phoebe didn’t participate in the war and after he was born the gods decided to praise them, for not only turning their backs on their siblings but also supporting the gods with knowledge and prophetic wisdom about the war, and so the son of Coeus and Phoebe, two key players for the gods in the war, was bestowed with the Underworld. </p><p> </p><p>     They had been overcome with emotion, his son Hades the king of the Underworld, what an honor.</p><p>     “What a piece of shit!” Luke thinks for the hundredth time while he leaves the place. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>     He knows, before he even crosses the door, that Julie’s probably going to be busy and won’t have time for him immediately but he’s fine with that. The reason he’s there is because he needs to forget about his parents and his ridiculous demands; before meeting her, playing guitar or writing music would’ve done the trick right now what he needs is to be surrounded by beautiful sights, pleasant smells and Julie. Even if she’s busy he’ll distract himself doing something, hoping that just being in her space will help calm the fire that started inside of him. </p><p> </p><p>     Once inside he sees Bobby and goes to say hello. Out of Julie’s employees he’s the one Luke has actually talked and knows a little bit, mostly because they have seen each other at open mic nights which allowed Luke to introduce him to his friends and the band. They talk for a couple of minutes exchanging pleasantries and discussing the music scene of this weekend while the guy checks the water on some of the flowers, before letting him know that Julie is on the counter. Luke then says goodbye and has to prevent himself from running towards her.</p><p> </p><p>     It’s a good thing he decides to walk because when he’s close to the counter he can see she’s with someone and assumes it’s a customer, although the behavior she’s displaying does not match what he’s seen when he sees her dealing with clients. No, she seems relaxed and casual, actually laughing the way she does when she’s not on the job. He’s unable to keep on watching from a distance because Julie spots him and waves him over.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey! I wasn’t expecting you.” Says his girlfriend, making him smile as he takes a couple of steps to finally reach where she is. That’s when he can finally see the person Julie is talking to and realizes… “I’m glad you’re here though, I’ve been wanting you to meet my new friend. Luke, this is Flynn. Flynn, meet Luke.” </p><p> </p><p>     He has to remain calm and not show any emotion other than happiness. He doesn’t know what Hecate is doing there and he’s not sure he wants to find out because the reason behind her presence cannot be a good one. Every part of his mind is trying to come up with a reason to answer why she’s there: Is she here to gain information? Was she sent by his parents? Is this the moment he loses Julie forever? What is going on? He doesn’t know what to think but he sure as hell is feeling scared, very. Hecate is not someone to mess with and her being here must mean something. </p><p> </p><p>     She’s the one who takes the first step. “It’s very nice to meet you. Julie has told me a lot about you.” She offers her hand and for a second Luke doubts but his girlfriend is there and he has to pretend everything is fine despite everything being decidedly not fine. </p><p> </p><p>     “It’s nice to meet you… Flynn, isn’t it? What kind of name is that?” He can’t help himself but he hopes it lands with a cheeky tone. Flynn cocks an eyebrow up, clearly seeing through his bullshit but Julie elbows him and tells him to behave. “Sorry, is just that Julie never mentioned you.”</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s okay. I told her to keep her eye candy to herself.” She answers completely unfazed by Luke’s antics. “Flynn is not really my name, is just something some obnoxious classmates came up with when I was in middle school and I decided to claim it. There’s power in owning what people throw at you, you know?” It’s obviously a jab directed at him, because the name Flynn was something that came up when his friends were renaming the Underworld and giving everything human names. He can’t explain to her it was just a joke, not right now when Julie is within earshot, besides, he doubts it’ll help, the damage is already done. </p><p> </p><p>     “Thanks for the compliment.” Is all he can answer, giving him one of his charming smiles, showing all his teeth. “I really meant it when I said it’s nice to meet you.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Mmm... I’m still on the fence about you. Julie talks about you all the time but all I see is very underwhelming arms.” She’s able to pass it as a joke and that’s why he forces a laugh, just to play along. </p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, c’mon Flynn. You make it sound like I talk about his arms a lot.” Julie’s blushing so he stretches himself over the counter to give him a kiss on the cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s okay babe. I’m not complaining.” This time both his smile and laugh are completely real. He lets himself stay close to her, without caring about how uncomfortable the position is just because of how pretty she looks when looking at him. That simple gesture makes him forget about his parents and the possible threat that Hecate’s presence supposes. He’s happy seeing her so he lets himself enjoy that for a second…</p><p> </p><p>     Until Hecate coughs to snap both of them out of their reverie. “Wow, you two are seriously lovesick.” She deadpans and while she’s not completely wrong, at least on his side, she is wrong on Julie’s account which he confirms when his girlfriend starts to distract himself and avoids his gaze. “Anyways, I have to get going. I have to get to class.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, that’s cool. What are you studying?” He’s completely mesmerized by the fact that her cover apparently includes that kind of information. He has to admit she’s good at whatever she’s doing.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m studying fashion design.” She answers, before walking around the counter to hug Julie and give her a proper goodbye, he even hears them make plans about hanging out, which surprises him. “Don’t worry Rockstar, once I graduate I can give you fashion tips and better clothes… You definitely need them.” Those are the words Flynn leaves them with, making Julie laugh so hard she has to duck under the counter to not disturb the couple Bobby is dealing with. </p><p> </p><p>     Luke imitates the action Flynn did a couple of seconds ago and once he’s behind the counter he bends down to be at her level. “I’m sorry, she just has a lot of sass but she’s the best.” His girlfriend says just as he helps her stand up. Once they are standing up she takes the opportunity to hug him and kiss him properly. “I happen to like the way you dress, so don’t mind her.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, I’m beginning to think you only like the gun show.” He answers, giving her a wink. It’s incredible how Julie makes him forget about everything and help him feel fine, even if the threats are closer than ever. Out of the corner of his eye he realizes there’s more people coming in and he’s not there to interfere with her business. “Hey, I know you’re busy but I really need to hang, is it okay if I go upstairs? I don’t mind waiting until you close.”</p><p> </p><p>     She beams at him and steals another kiss before answering. “Yeah, make yourself at home... I believe your guitar is there from last time. Just give Carlos his food at five and if you want there’s arroz con pollo that my tía made. I’ll go as soon as I can.” </p><p> </p><p>     “I’ll be counting the hours.” He says, making her giggle and kisses her again just for the sake of it, before going upstairs and, taking her words to heart, makes himself at home. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>     He does his best to keep his thoughts centered while waiting for Julie. He knows himself too well and if he doesn’t keep them on a tight leash he’s capable of spiraling and getting down a rabbit whole he’s not sure he’ll be able to get out of. Seeing his parents was one thing but not the added presence of Hecate to the mix is enough to actually make him feel sick. He knows he should’ve followed her and demanded an explanation but he couldn’t, he was there to see Julie and he realizes that if their time together is coming to an end he’ll make the best out of it.</p><p> </p><p>     So he plays guitar and feeds Carlos and entertains himself for almost three hours and a half, when Julie finally closes the store and is able to come upstairs to eat a warm dinner. “I didn’t want to eat without you.” He says when she crosses the threshold. She looks tired but smiles as she hears his words and skips to his side to give him a tight hug. He reciprocates and buries his head on her hair before giving her a kiss. “Sit down, I’ll do everything okay?” After opening her chair for her he opens a bottle of wine, thinking it’ll help both of them.</p><p> </p><p>     “Thanks, but you don’t have to bother…” </p><p> </p><p>     “Nonsense. You seem tired and I’m hiding out here anyways, the least I can do is actually help.” He reassures her because he likes doing this for her, it makes his heart feel like singing the song he’s been writing about her. </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t tell her he craves this kind of domesticity and he wants to indulge in it the same way a kid would indulge in chocolate cake, only that, unlike the kid who will probably end with stomachache he won’t, he’ll crave this domestic moments with her forever, even when a couple of centuries have passed and she no longer walks the Earth he’ll remember warming up dinner and drinking cheap wine with her. He was never one to think about how lonely he was until they met and now, every time he leaves her home and goes to the Underworld alone, he realizes he wants a world where he doesn’t have to say goodbye to her so often. He wants his reality to include her and they can be domestic all the time. </p><p> </p><p>     There he goes, always wanting something he’ll never get to have.</p><p>     When is he going to learn?</p><p> </p><p>     They eat in silence for a while but when he’s refilling her glass she interrupts the silence. “You said that you needed to be here, when we were downstairs and now you just said that you’re hiding… Is everything okay?” She asks, extending her hand and offering it to him, which he takes without doubting it. </p><p> </p><p>     “My parents dropped in unannounced today.” He says, leaving his fork on his empty platter. That’s enough information to make her start caressing his hand, which makes him smile. Julie knows that he doesn’t get along with Mitch and Emily and that they do not support his music endeavors, so he can tell her about the awful meeting with them without delving into the real reason why they paid him a visit in the Underworld. “It’s been a while since I saw them and it was an awful reunion. I was mean to them but… I don’t know Julie, I really wish I could love them or at least tolerate them enough to be civil because these are the people who gave birth to me. I owe them at least that.”</p><p> </p><p>     Once again, he’s not lying about what he’s saying and yet he’s surprised about voicing those thoughts out loud. Not even Alex and Reggie, who are his best friends and brothers, know how much he would like for things to be different with his parents. However, he should really stop being surprised by the fact that he’s once again baring his soul to Julie, after all she’s the one who gave him one. </p><p> </p><p>     “Luke, you don’t owe them anything for bringing you into this.” She looks at him in the eyes, speaking in a deadly serious tone she rarely uses. “I wish you could get along with them but it’s hard having a relationship with someone who’s so out of touch of who you really are.” She says, before standing up and setting herself between his legs to give him an ever tighter hug than the one she gave him when she went upstairs.</p><p> </p><p>     He rests his head in her chest and lets a couple of tears slide down his cheeks. He’s not crying because of his parents, he’s crying because Julie’s words have hit so close to their relationship he can’t actually bear it. Unknowingly she’s making him realize he needs to let her go and that makes him cry more.  </p><p> </p><p>     “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cry on you.” He says, once they separate and he can see Julie’s shirt. She shakes her head and rests her forehead on his before cleaning his tears and kissing him on the tip of his nose.</p><p> </p><p>     “Don’t apologize for anything Luke Patterson. I’ll always lend you my shoulder or shirts to cry on.” She says, playfully before tugging his hand and leading him to her bed. </p><p> </p><p>     Without giving it a thought or stopping to remove her shoes she accommodates them both so that she’s cuddling him and even if he wants to cry some more he can’t because he gets lost on the fact that Julie’s hands are running through his hair, messing it even more than before and her other hand is rubbing his left arm, giving him goosebumps. His head is still resting on her chest and he finds it funny that even if this is the closest thing he’ll get to feel her breasts he’s not really paying attention to that, rather, his hand is brushing a patch of skin around her hip that feels smooth to the touch. He likes that he can see that she also has goosebumps. </p><p> </p><p>     “Tell me how you got into music.” She says after a while and Luke is so out of touch with reality he doesn’t even question where the hell does her query comes from.</p><p> </p><p>     “I guess in a way, it’s always been a part of me.” He starts explaining, conscious enough to not blurt out that it all started in ancient Greece. “When I was younger it was one of the few things that actually caught my attention. There was nothing like it, you know? Food is fine but if I could I would just sustain myself through music.”</p><p><br/>     “When you find out a way to make that work, let me know. I don’t doubt that if anyone can make that happen, it’s going to be you.” She jokes, making him laugh. </p><p> </p><p>     “Thanks for the vote of confidence. You’ll be the first one I’ll tell, of course.” He guarantees her, before continuing with the altered version of how he got into music. “I liked guitar the most, I tried a couple of other instruments yet none felt the way guitar did so I took lessons but that was like forty percent of the work the other sixty was just me becoming obsessed and teaching myself. I just loved it and my brain craved it, all I could think was music.”</p><p><br/>     “I would argue that that is still the case.” She says and he has to shake his head because the only fitting answer for that is ‘Now all I think is you, Julie’ but he can’t tell her that, what good it’ll do to them?</p><p> </p><p>     “No, I get what you are saying but it was way worse. Before meeting Alex and Reggie my brain could only process music, the rest was just background nonsense.” He explains feeling how Julie’s hand is now on his back, under his shirt. He smiles at that, shivering when her nails come into contact with his skin. “I met them at class. Where we learned we had some communal classes and we bonded. It didn’t even occur to me, not in my wildest dreams that we would form a band together. It’s one of the best things that ever happened to me. The other one is you.”</p><p> </p><p>     He can’t help himself and says it out loud, slightly relieved that they can’t see each other because of the position they’re at. But once again, he needs her to know this even if he’s going to pull the plug in the relationship. Because...</p><p> </p><p>     He’s going to miss this. </p><p>     He’s going to miss being with her and talking about everything and nothing.</p><p>     He’s going to miss listening to her talk about her day and her life, which he still finds fascinating.</p><p>     He’s going to miss being listened to by her, knowing that she’s giving him her whole undivided attention.</p><p>     He’s going to miss her touch and the way she easily understood that was an important thing for him.</p><p>     He’s going to miss her and every aspect of their relationship. Especially the quiet moments, the ones when they are just two people against all odds comforting each other. </p><p> </p><p>     “You’re also one of the best things that happen to me.” She whispers and he can’t help but to raise his head, almost cracking his neck, just to see her. She laughs softly at his reaction and brushes his hair to a side, looking at him fondly. He gets lost in her brown eyes and dreams of a future they cannot have together. He hopes that whoever gets to live his life with Julie is really worthy of her, he knows he doesn’t deserve not even an ounce of affection that her eyes radiate.</p><p> </p><p>     He could tell her he loves her right now. Maybe he should but…</p><p> </p><p>     “Can I stay the night?” Is what he ends up saying instead and she nods, before closing the distance and giving him a kiss that resembles the one they share the night they met. She’s clearly trying to seal her words to him and make him feel better. She’s succeeding at it.  </p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, I was not letting you go today.” She says once they break the kiss.</p><p> </p><p>     He takes advantage of the solitude when she goes to the bathroom and tidies up the kitchen so that tomorrow there’s no mess for her to clean up. When he’s done he crouches to check Carlos’ water and sand before standing up and realizing that on the side of the fridge there’s a picture of them. It was taken by Reggie some weeks ago, at the Santa Monica pier. He was giving her a piggyback ride because she was complaining that he was a terrible boyfriend after not winning her a single stuffed animal. They were making fun of each other when his friend took the picture and Julie claimed it for herself. </p><p> </p><p>     He steps back, realizing he’s crying again because of all the good memories they have accumulated in their little time together. By the time Julie comes out of the bathroom he’s already in bed, trying and failing to get a hold of himself, something she clearly notices because instead of taking her side, she goes to his and spoons him.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m here, It’s going to be okay Luke” She whispers in his ear, before turning off the light.   </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t sleep, he spends the whole night trying to memorize the way her body curls up against his, the way her breaths tickle his neck, the way her scent is all he can smell. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s going to break up with her but he hopes that night stays with him forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>If you want to chat, I'm also on tumblr, <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com"> here</a> is my account.</p><p>While writing this fic I created a playlist of songs that I think capture the essence of the story as well as Julie and Luke's personalities here. If you want to listen, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> here</a> is the link!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Rulers make bad lovers, you better put your kingdom up for sale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Monday everyone! Hope your week is having a great start. </p><p>Chapter title is from Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman”.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     “I’m breaking up with Julie.”</p><p> </p><p>     He announces the day after his parents visited him. They were supposed to have band practice but once they got there Luke decided to share the news with his friends. “I know I should’ve done it by now but I just wanted more time with her, I…”  He can’t continue, his voice breaks and he has to sit down because his legs won’t keep him up anymore. He’s literally breaking down. Luckily, both Alex and Reggie are quick to react, positioning themselves around Luke and giving him a hug. “I’m sorry guys.” </p><p> </p><p>     “You don’t have to apologize to us Luke.” Says Reggie with a soft voice, while stroking his back. “We just wish you didn’t have to do this.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, just because we said you have to do this doesn’t mean we want you to suffer.” Alex grabbed his hand and is giving him reassuring squeezes, just like they do with him if he’s having an anxiety attack. </p><p> </p><p>     He loves his friends, he can’t thank them enough for what they are doing for him. He knows if they weren’t there he would be turned to pieces because of the awful pain he’s in even before he actually breaks up with Julie. Once they are officially over he doesn’t even want to think of what will happen to him; maybe he will actually cease to exist, but he highly doubts it, that would end his suffering too quickly and if there’s anything a mythological being can do is suffer for ages, just ask the titans in Tartarus or Atlas. </p><p> </p><p>     He knows he’s bound to suffer for the rest of his existence. At least he’ll have his friends to keep him company. That’s something he’s thankful for, he’ll have his friends literally forever.</p><p> </p><p>     He wonders if he should tell them that he loves her, although that piece of information doesn’t really matter right now, maybe his friends should know… Right? No, because this is not a happy occasion where they can congratulate him and celebrate the fact that for the first time in forever he’s in love with someone. Right now, there is nothing to celebrate, this is almost a funeral and so there’s nothing really other than mourn his relationship. That’s why he dismisses the thought almost immediately because even if they don’t already know, it wouldn’t do him any good to say it out loud, it’ll just sink in the knife a little deeper. So, he decides to keep quiet, there’s no reason to make himself more miserable than he already is. </p><p> </p><p>     “Thank you for being here. I don’t think I can tell you right now how much it means to me that I have you two by my side.” He tells his friends, trying to keep his tone steady and not break in tears again. Both Reggie and Alex respond with big smiles before merging in a group hug between the three of them. That’s when he can’t keep his tears at bay anymore because above all, he has his friends and they’ll never replace Julie but they can keep his heart beating. “I mean it, I love you guys.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     “And we love you too, but you’re gonna make us cry.” Jokes Alex before Reggie immediately responds, almost with a squeak.</p><p> </p><p>     “Speak for yourself man, I’m already crying!” </p><p> </p><p>     And just like that, they can make him laugh. The tears are still there and he suspects it’s not going to go away for a while but at least his laughter hasn’t gone anywhere and his friends definitely aren’t leaving him.</p><p> </p><p>     “I just want to ask you for a favor.” He announces once they have stopped laughing and there’s no new tears running down his cheeks. Now that they are just sitting and can see each other he feels like it’s the moment to explain himself. “I’m going to break up with her but before that I, uh, I was thinking we could perform together. I know it’s not how break ups really go but we’ve seen her on a stage and I’ve been writing with her… ” It takes him a couple of seconds to focus himself and give in the sadness that surrounds him, because it’s really hard to keep at bay the memories of him and Julie writing and creating music together. He can do this. “We worked on a really great song and I’d love to perform it with her, all of us. I’ll break up with her the next day or something but I want to share the stage with her, I want that memory of us singing together before I leave her.” </p><p> </p><p>     It’s hard putting his plan out there, voicing it out loud for other people to hear and yet he’s aware that it’s the easiest step of them all. The rest are going to be even worse and he’s not eager for them to come even if the idea of performing with Julie is something that makes him smile, it’s all very bittersweet for his own liking. </p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah man, of course we’ll perform with you guys.” Replies Alex, smiling at him reassuringly. </p><p> </p><p>     “Let’s get rehearsin’!'' Announces Reggie with excitement, trying to cheer up Luke who, just as they stand up, brings them in for another hug; this time just to let them know how much he appreciates their support.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     Most of that week is spent rehearsing with the boys, keeping the whole thing as a surprise for Julie with whom he makes excuses and doesn’t really see until Saturday night. They have texted all these days but he didn’t consider himself strong enough to see her before their performance. If he had seen her he knows he’d probably break down and that’s not something he wants, he wants to leave her with good memories, with amazing moments she can still savor once she’s old and wants to relive moments of the past. </p><p> </p><p>     When she arrives at Eats &amp; Beats, it’s the first time he’s seen her since Tuesday night and he can’t help but to hug her tightly, as if his existence depended on it. </p><p> </p><p>     “I missed you.” He whispers in her ear before they kiss each other hello. They have to keep it shorter than he’d like because they are surrounded by people but he tries to make the most of it, leaving Julie without breath.</p><p> </p><p>     “I missed you too.” She says, once she’s able to speak again and leaves his side to say hello to his friends. “Hey guys! It’s so good to see you.” He loves seeing how honest she is about his friends and how much they genuinely like each other. He doesn’t often pray but right now he desperately wants to pray that there is another universe where they get to be together and hang out with his friends and be happy. </p><p> </p><p>     There’s no point in dwelling on that so he orders a round of shots, just as Julie catches up with his friends. “I'm excited to see you guys perform today. What are you going to sing? Luke wouldn’t tell me.” She complains, all pouty and looking like Carlos when he doesn’t get his way.</p><p> </p><p>     “Actually, there’s a reason he didn’t tell you…” Alex has the voice he uses when he’s about to tell a soul they are now part of the Underworld, he’s being tactful and Luke appreciates it but there’s no need for that right now.</p><p> </p><p>     “You’re playing with us!” He announces, loud and excited, trying to hide all the sadness that has taken residence within himself. He can see Julie trying to process the information and how she goes from shock to utter disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh no. No no no. Don’t even think about it Luke Patterson…” She shakes her head and looks at him as if she has enough strength to turn him to ashes right this second. She probably does but he’s not keen to test that hypothesis. “I’m not doing that.”</p><p> </p><p>     “C’mon! We’re not even playing as Sunset Curve tonight” He pleads because he wants this to happen so badly.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah! Tonight we’re performing as Julie and the gods!” Announces Reggie in a chipper tone, not even phased by Julie's reluctance. Alex, on the other hand, looks at his friends as if he’s done with their ridiculousness; the fact that he facepalms just settles it.</p><p> </p><p>     “I would like to exclude myself from that naming decision. It was all Reg’s” Explains Alex because he hated that name and even if Luke agrees it is a very ridiculous one it is definitely fitting and he’s always been one for inside jokes. Just this time he wishes Julie was in the know.</p><p> </p><p>     Julie’s eyes have not left Luke’s throughout the conversation and he can see out of the corner of his eye how his friends try to give them some space, which he appreciates. </p><p> </p><p>     “We haven’t rehearsed. You could’ve told me and maybe…” She says, taking a step forward so that they can hear each other without raising their voices. “I’m flattered, I really am. Even if the name seems to be designed to flatter you three and not me.” She jokes and he has to laugh even if she's got the meaning all wrong.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey. Look at me.” He raises his hands and puts them on both her cheeks, not only to make her look but also to show her that he really means what he’s about to say. “The reason we didn't rehearse together is because you don't need to do that; you know ‘Finally free’ inside and out; you could do this in your sleep and even without our help. You are the most amazing musician I’ve met, you got this and if you think otherwise just remember that I'm going to be up there with you.”</p><p> </p><p>     One he finishes she looks at him with so much fondness he physically can't. This is already hard enough so he takes a step away, his hands leaving her face and taking hers, squeezing a little bit. “So? What do you think?” He asks all hope in his tone.</p><p> </p><p>     She sighs and shakes her head, as if she can’t believe herself. “I hate the name but it’s a little late to change that right?” She asks, looking at Reggie and Alex so that they can step closer.</p><p> </p><p>     “Next time we can negotiate Molina.” Concedes Reggie, completely forgetting that there's no going to be a next time after this one. Alex looks at him and silently mouths an apology on his friend's behalf but Luke is already handing out the shots to distract himself.</p><p> </p><p>     “C'mon guys! Legends on three.” He announces and he doesn't even need to look at  her to know that Julie thinks they are exaggerating but he searches for her eyes anyways and sees her shaking her head while looking fondly at all three of them. </p><p> </p><p>     After shouting legends and downing the shot they all share a group hug, just every time they are about to go and perform. He tries not to hurt himself by thinking too much about how important it is to him that Julie is there; he tries very hard to shush every thought that reminds him that this could be his reality if only he was a mortal man. </p><p> </p><p>     They get called on stage twenty minutes later, giving them time to go over the song with Julie, something he still maintains she doesn't need to do because she’s a natural performer. They agree to disagree, so to appease her they do as much as they can in those minutes, before a couple of guys start helping Alex with the drums and Reggie checks that everything is right with the sound.</p><p> </p><p>     He’s about to help with everything but he’s unable to as Julie pulls him aside and steals a kiss from him. It’s passionate and fiery, as if the tequila completely emboldened her. This kiss screams desire everywhere and he’s not sure how to process it but he’s damn sure he’s about to moan because of the way her lips feel against his and the fact that he can feel her body so close to his. He’s about to lose the little control he has over the situation when, all of the sudden she breaks the kiss and bites his lip, all while looking very innocent. Huh, could’ve fooled him. </p><p> </p><p>     “I can’t believe you convinced me to do this.” It’s all she says before taking his hand and walking to the stage.</p><p> </p><p>     Julie is the one that kicks off the song with her keyboard and her beautiful voice. Just as he expected, she nails every note and totally slays the piano. From the side, where he and Reggie are waiting he can see how the crowd is eating it all up. Honestly? Same.  </p><p> </p><p>     “She’s amazing, bro.” Comments his friend while patting him on the back. Luke cannot do anything else so he nods because he wholeheartedly agrees.</p><p> </p><p>     When she reaches the chorus and is time for them to join Luke is thankful his body knows what to do because he cannot take his eyes off her. It’s so different from performing with the guys or seeing her perform because even if he knows he's supposed to look at the crowd and hype them up all he's able to do is look at Julie.</p><p> </p><p>     He might as well be in the audience because he's completely under her spell.</p><p> </p><p>     For someone who’s been the front man of a band for centuries, it strikes him how easily he's able to take a step back and just let her be the ringleader. She's so good at keeping the attention and making everyone try to sing along; she’s a natural performer and is just so effortless to her but at the same time very genuine. Even if it pains him he's glad that he's going to leave her with this memory because he can see how much this also means to her and how much fun she's having. </p><p> </p><p>     Sharing a stage with Julie is making him fall a little bit more in love with her, if that’s even possible. But she's been making him redefine everything since they met, this is no different.</p><p> </p><p>     He knows for sure he's fallen off the deep end when, almost at the end of the song, she comes closer and shares the mic with him. She’s looking right into his soul while singing ‘And you’re a part of me’ and he thinks he's going to die right there because there’s no way he can fool himself into thinking she means it even if when he sings that same part he does mean it. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s never meant something so much before. She has forever become a part of himself, the most important and treasured part of him.</p><p> </p><p>     Before he can do anything stupid, like kiss her on stage in front of everyone, she breaks the eye contact and finishes the rest of the song while looking at the public. Not him though, his eyes stay on her, even as they bow and leave the stage. </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t get a chance to congratulate her because once they are in the backstage area his friends jump from excitement and pull everyone for a group hug, exclaiming how wonderful and amazing that was. Julie cannot help but to agree with them and once again he prays that there's another Earth where he gets to actually enjoy these moments without the sadness creeping up and setting in his head.</p><p> </p><p>     It was definitely the best of times and the absolute worst of times. </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn't realize his friends have left, probably to the green room to arrange their stuff. He doesn’t have a chance to join them because suddenly Julie is in front of him, grabbing him by the neck of his shirt and getting him to her level before kissing him. </p><p> </p><p>     This is like the kiss they shared before getting on stage. It’s all fire and passion, dripping in desire. It’s his body reacting before he has a chance to stop himself and that's why his arms fly to her waist, to keep her close and be able to feel her completely. She doesn't stay behind, with one of her hands messing up his hair and the other one on her back, making scratches that cause him to growl at her mouth. </p><p> </p><p>     He's hungry and it's hard to remember why he’s been avoiding this when she’s biting his lip and taking his last bit of sanity with her. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s about to start grinding her against the wall when he hears a cough which makes them stop dead in the tracks, both of them seemingly remembering they are still in a venue and there’s people waiting. When he turns to face his friends he tries to convey how thankful he is that they have his back and are conscious enough to end whatever was about to happen. Someone else might be pissed about being cockblocked but Luke, despite everything, is grateful that he was stopped before he did something he cannot undo.</p><p> </p><p>     “We were thinking about getting some onion rings to celebrate. Want to come?” Says Alex and to his surprise, Julie is completely able to look innocent and sound completely coherent when agreeing to that plan. Meanwhile he’s still a mess but is able to mumble something about his guitar before letting them get ahead. </p><p> </p><p>     Once he’s alone in the green room, he collapses to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>     For two months he was able to keep a certain distance between him and Julie, at least regarding sexual intimacy. It wasn’t like they talked about it but he was thankful that she seemed to want to take things slow between them, because he wasn't sure he wanted to sleep with Julie. It wasn't like he wasn’t attracted to her or wasn't interested in sex, because he definitely was. She was a beautiful woman inside and out and he would've feel very lucky to have been able to have sex with her. But he felt like the situation wasn’t fair. She didn’t know who he really was and he felt she deserved to know the people she shared her bed with, she deserved to make that decision and he was not going to make it for her.</p><p> </p><p>     He’s had sex with humans before so in theory it’s nothing new to him. But this is Julie, someone he loves and cares deeply about; this is not a random person he’s never going to see again. If that was the case he wouldn’t feel so conflicted because if anything for gods is completely normal to have this kind of relationship with humans all the time, but he’s always felt that the whole situation is awful because the humans are being completely deceived. He’s already lying to her, the least he could do is not make her share her bed, naked body and soul to someone she doesn’t completely know.</p><p> </p><p>     He loves her too much to do that to her and, besides, he’s breaking up with her anyways. He’s not going to be the asshole who sleeps with her and then leaves her, as if that was the only thing he was after. </p><p> </p><p>     He loves her too much to hurt her more than he already has to.</p><p> </p><p>     When he joins them there are no longer onion rings and Reggie is at the bar flirting with… Bobby? He cannot say he saw that one coming but his friend recently stopped hanging out with Kayla and Bobby is a nice person. It’s just what he needs to drive all Julie related thoughts out of his mind, at least for a hot second.</p><p> </p><p>     “We are very shocked.” Says Julie when she realizes what captured his attention. “But good for them, right?” She asks, offering him a drink when he sits next to her.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, good for them.” He answers, taking a small sip of his beer, because he needs to stay sharp for the night, especially after Julie curls up next to him, almost sitting in his lap. So much for a distraction; how naive he is thinking Julie has not taken his mind hostage and that’s why every single thought is about her.</p><p> </p><p>     However, they don’t stay very long at the venue. Alex wants to see Willie and Reggie hits it off with Bobby, who invites him to another place. Suddenly it’s just him and Julie walking to her home and he doesn't realize how dangerous the situation is until they are upstairs and he closes the door. </p><p> </p><p>     Almost immediately he can feel Julie’s fingers in his belt hoops, pulling him to be near her. He collides with her body and is about to apologize when she shuts him up, capturing his lips in a kiss that would make all their other kisses blush in embarrassment because of how hot this is. She’s in control of the moment and Luke knows that he needs to do something but he can’t, because Julie’s tongue is in his mouth and all of the sudden he doesn’t want her to stop doing that. His arms end up grabbing her by the thighs and when she surrounds his body with her legs he starts walking to the kitchen counter, where she breaks the kiss, but not to take a breath but rather to get rid of her crop top before kissing his neck.</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t even get a chance to appreciate her without her top because she uses that damn tongue on him and just like that he’s gone. He closes his eyes and has to prop one of his arms on the counter to steady himself otherwise he’s afraid his knees might not be able to support him. “You like that, uh?” Julie whispers in his ear with a voice that’s almost guttural and makes him shiver at the same time she bites his earlobe, making him moan. </p><p> </p><p>     He knows he’s hard already and he also knows that this needs to stop right now, otherwise there’s no turning back. He summons his last bit of integrity and manages to take a few steps back from her, clearly surprising her. </p><p> </p><p>     For a second he just looks at her while she catches her breath and notices her lacey purple bra which just makes him realize that she was planning this; she wants to have sex with him. It kills him not to be able to give her what she wants. Especially because he wants her as well.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” He says and he feels like he wants to cry after saying that out loud, especially after looking at her facial expression which lets him know she’s completely clueless. </p><p> </p><p>     “What? What do you mean?” She asks, now almost back to her normal voice but with a surprise hint on it. “Did I make you feel uncomfortable? I know we didn’t voice our consent out loud but you seemed into it… Were you not enjoying this?” </p><p> </p><p>     His heart breaks because of how worried she seems about him and his boundaries when he’s trying to protect hers. “No, is not that. I was clearly enjoying myself,” he asserts to reassure her. He doesn’t want for one second to think she’s to blame, that would be too much. For a second her eyes fly to his crotch and he feels an urge to cover himself or something, because he feels very exposed. He doesn’t do anything about it, even if the tips of his ears are a dead giveaway. “I just can’t do this Julie. I’m… I’m very sorry.” He mumbles, trying very hard not to cry.</p><p> </p><p>     “But why? I don’t understand…” She takes a deep breath and he can tell she’s frustrated by her whole body language. The way she closes her eyes, trying to regain composure, the way she runs her hand through his hair, giving herself a minute before looking at him right in the eyes. Right now she’s pissed, instead of frustrated. “Luke, when I say I have enjoyed our relationship I mean it, I have. And I really love that we implicitly decided to take it slow; I needed that but right now... I want to have sex with you. Is it the only thing in my mind? No, but if we want to have a relationship is an aspect I’m not willing to sacrifice. Especially if you are not giving me an explanation.”</p><p> </p><p>     There’s nothing he can say to counter that, she’s absolutely right.</p><p> </p><p>     “Julie, I….” She’s expecting something he’ll never be able to give him. He’s never going to be good for her. “You’re right you do deserve an explanation and you also deserve someone that can be in a relationship with you and satisfy all your needs. I’m sorry I can’t be that person. Please know that these past weeks with you have made me the happiest person I’ve ever been. I’m gonna go now.” He’s crying now and he desperately doesn’t want this to be the last memory she has of him so he hurries to leave the place even if it’s a total cowardly move. It sucks that he can’t see her because his tears don’t let him, he supposes it’s for the best, there’s no way that after that the last image he’s going to have on his memory of her is going to be a happy one.</p><p> </p><p>     Once he’s in the shop he realizes this is the way they end, not with a bang but without an explanation. So much for wanting to leave her with great memories.</p><p> </p><p>     He stops in the middle of the aisles and takes a second to collect himself, at least to be a little less of the mess he is right now when he reaches the Underworld. He sits down right there, unable to collect himself, instead he’s sobbing in the middle of her store, the worst place to be right now because even if the lights are off and everything is in storage everything still reminds him of her and how happy he was there.  </p><p> </p><p>     He recognizes her steps and hurries to clean his cheeks before standing up and facing her. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave, I just… I just couldn’t bring myself to it.” He says, voice completely broken because of all the tears. He can’t see very well in the dark but he’s able to notice that she changed her clothes and now is sporting a maroon henley he once left there which makes him feel like a puny insect because even now that she’s mad at him she still took his clothing to make herself feel better. He also notices that she’s been crying and that makes him hate himself even more; he doesn’t deserve those tears. He doesn’t want to be the cause of her sadness. </p><p> </p><p>     She doesn’t answer and they just stay like that, looking at each other for a couple of minutes. He doesn’t want to leave her like this, he had a plan and he completely ruined it just as he ruins everything. Looking at her he realizes she seems incredibly sad, she was angry when they were upstairs and understandably so but right now there’s a halo of sadness that surrounds her; Julie who is the sun on any given day, whose smile can shine as brightly as the sunrise. </p><p> </p><p>     He did this to her, this is his fault. </p><p> </p><p>     It wasn’t supposed to be like this, he didn’t mean for any of this to happen. It was supposed to be fun, just have a nice time together. Falling for her is simultaneously the best and the worst thing that has happened to him because looking at her in this state just makes him feel completely horrible. </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t know for how long they simply stare at each other, but eventually (and despite his common sense trying desperately to get him out of there) he breaks down, because he’s weak and selfish. “I know I don’t deserve it. But can I lay by your side one last time?” As soon as the words leave his mouth his common sense punches him metaphorically in the face, making him regret the words. He does not get to ask her that, not after what just happened so he tries to backtrack. “No, forget it, I’m sorry I shouldn’t…”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     “Okay.” Julie answers softly, barely there. She doesn’t wait for him and starts to climb up the stairs. After a beat he follows her, trying not to think too much about this ounce of mercy she’s giving him (and that he doesn’t deserve). </p><p> </p><p>     When he crosses the door she’s already in bed, almost curled up onto herself, facing Luke’s side of the bed. He takes out his shoes before climbing to his side, looking at her. They don’t speak and barely even look at each other before she closes her eyes, trying to sleep or at least trying to avoid looking at him. He doesn’t even pretend to sleep this time because this is his last time with Julie so he’s going to simply watch her sleep and try to burn the memory of her onto his brain. </p><p> </p><p>     When it’s close to sunrise, he leaves the bed because he doesn’t want to be there when she wakes up. He takes his time leaving the place though. He’ll never step foot here again and wants to give it a good look before disappearing to the Underworld. </p><p> </p><p>     He looks at Carlos and picks him up, because he’s going to miss his furry friend. With the cat in his arms he walks around the place, trying to memorize everything while scratching Carlos' ears.</p><p>     He looks at the walls, decorated with vibrant colors and adorned with her cute doodles.</p><p>     He looks at her books and CD’s, tempted to take one as a souvenir, but incapable of taking even more of her.</p><p>     He looks at the bathroom, where his toothbrush inhabits. He knows it’ll be in the trash soon.</p><p>     He looks at her in bed, the most beautiful flower of them all. He’s going to miss waking up with her hair in his face and her legs entwined with his. He's going to miss how perfectly she fits in his arms.  </p><p> </p><p>     No one will ever compare to her. </p><p> </p><p>     Almost without thinking, he grabs the materials to make her breakfast. He needs to say goodbye but as he refuses to wake her up he decides this is a gesture that can convey what he means, or at least, he hopes it does because he’s pretty sure a stack of pancakes cannot say “Hey, I love you but I can’t let you know I’m an immortal being so enjoy your breakfast”. He hopes it at least is the sweet goodbye he meant to leave her with. </p><p> </p><p>     He works in complete silence and once he’s finished he stacks the pancakes in the microwave, putting a note on the door to signal where they are. His desire to linger is very strong but he knows that would be too much so, once again he picks Carlos up and looks at him. “Take care of her okay buddy? Please take care of her.” He begs, before kissing the cat between his ears and letting him go cuddle with Julie, who is still facing backwards, leaving him unable to see her face one more time before he leaves for good. </p><p> </p><p>     Luke says a silent goodbye before turning, coming close to the picture she has of them on her fridge. Without thinking he takes it with him, because he assumes she’ll never want to see his face again and he wants a memento of the one time in his life he was happy and alive. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you liked the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>My <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> in case you wanna chat!</p><p>The fic's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> Playlist</a> if you want to listen!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Well sunsets fade, and love does, too, we had our day in the sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Friday everyone! Hope you had a lovely weekend and now are getting ready to enjoy the weekend.</p><p>If you're still reading this story I hope you know how much I appreciate it. </p><p>Chapter title comes from Kacey Musgrave's: "Space Cowboy".</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     What happens after he and Julie break up is hard to define because it’s not what he expects. He really expected a montage of him weeping, crying, eating ice cream and chocolates and never leaving his bed. Instead of channeling his inner Elle Woods he’s surprised by how much he’s able to keep a relatively normal existence. Well, at least to the untrained eye that’s what’s going on. </p><p> </p><p>     Really what’s going on is that he feels numb and he’s functioning as if he’s on autopilot. But, because he doesn’t sleep or take rests, his ‘days’ don’t have a beginning or an ending so instead Luke has been stuck, living a perpetual day since he and Julie broke up. Technically, he’s trapped on the day he got his heart broken which sucks but he’s trying not to focus on that which is why he’s not slowing down. Alex, Reggie and even Willie have tried to talk to him but it’s no use, he’s not listening to anyone. </p><p> </p><p>     Before he met Julie at least he was able to find joy, he wasn’t necessarily happy but he was content and there were things that made him feel as if his existence wasn’t a complete hell (pun intended). He loved his friends and playing music was something that could make him smile and now… He’s empty. He feels empty and he doesn’t want to sound dramatic but he lives in the literal Underworld where there’s no color so he’s allowed to say that once he left her all the happiness and color from his life disappeared.</p><p> </p><p>     So now that he has no point in looking forward towards something he just focuses on fulfilling his duties as king. He has neglected them because of all the time he spent with Julie and now he’s burying himself with stuff to do to keep himself from thinking too much about her, which isn’t necessarily working but he hopes eventually he’s able to at least spend an hour without relating something to his ex-girlfriend. </p><p> </p><p>     Because that’s what she is, an ex-girlfriend. And he hates that because the depth of his feelings for her cannot be covered with that simple word. </p><p>     She is the woman who made him feel alive, who made him happy, who made him laugh and crave affection and domesticity. </p><p>     She is the woman who turned the most simple moments into the most amazing ones. The woman who had a magic touch and transformed everything into something wonderful.</p><p>     She is the woman who gave him a soul and a heart.</p><p>     He just wishes he’d left those in her home instead of having to carry them around, making everything hurt. </p><p> </p><p>     And that’s it. New record: forty five minutes without thinking about her. Please someone reset the timer to zero, time to start again the countdown of incidents.  </p><p> </p><p>     He sighs before continuing with his chores. There’s work to do even if his friends try to distract him and make him take a break. He loves them and appreciates the fact that they want to help but he doesn’t think trying to be happy elsewhere is going to help. Eventually they had stopped and now simply check on him to see if everything is alright, which is something he finds somewhat funny because he’s an immortal being, it is not like he’s going to die or pass out from exhaustion. </p><p> </p><p>     Everything is the same. He works, he checks in with the other gods, he checks in with his friends, he lets Cerberus lick him affectionately. Repeat. Until all of the sudden…</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey!” He’s walking to his office after meeting with Minos and the other judges when he hears Hecate. Huh, he had forgotten to check in with her and he can understand if she’s mad about it so he starts to apologize.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey. I’m sorry I haven’t got around visiting you…” He starts, but she shuts him up quickly.</p><p> </p><p>     “No, that’s not why I’m here.” She announces, which surprises him because out of most of them, she’s one of the most focused and work oriented gods. She doesn’t let him really think anything else before she speaks again. “Can we talk somewhere private?”</p><p> </p><p>     “Uh… yeah, sure.” He’s still very surprised when he hears her question but guides her nonetheless to his so-called office. She hasn’t even taken a seat before she starts talking. </p><p> </p><p>     “I wanted to talk to you because I want to explain so many things, like why Julie knows me and…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, you don’t have to do that.” He’s quick to react because he doesn’t want to hear this right now. Whatever the hell he thought before didn’t matter, the last thing he needs is to listen to her talk about his ex-girlfriend. He already lives in pain, the least he can do is avoid the constant reminders.</p><p> </p><p>     “No. This is not up for discussion, you need to know.” She says, firm and Luke knows there’s nothing he can do to fight her so he stays quiet and hopes it ends quickly. “The reason I became friends with Julie is because of you. I figured if this girl was keeping you away I could use that so that you’d spend less and less  time here and I could take the reins, even if it wasn’t on paper I could finally take responsibility for this place.” Her voice doesn’t have a drop of shame or at least regret when she lets him know of her plans, if anything is earnest and he appreciates that; she’s always been vocal about what an awful fit he is to be ruling this place and he wholeheartedly agrees. Knowing her, it doesn’t surprise him that that was her plan, he’s actually quite surprised it wasn’t one of the options he considered. “But before I could do anything I realized why you liked her. From the second we met Julie was nothing but kind and friendly. It made me notice how lonely I’m down here and now I’m not ashamed to say that I’m friends with a human.”</p><p> </p><p>     That actually makes him smile, even if it hurts a lot, because that’s just another reminder of how great Julie is and confirms that he doesn’t see her like that because he loves her, he sees her like that because that’s who she is and everyone can see it. </p><p> </p><p>     “I know you assumed that I went there because of your parents or something, but that’s not true. My intentions weren’t necessarily good ones but…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Again, you don’t have to explain yourself to me.” He interrupts, because it’s all in the past. Now that they are not together it doesn’t matter what he did or didn’t think. </p><p> </p><p>     “I’m not done, okay?” She cuts in, sharp and he visibly winces at her reaction. “I get that you jumped to that conclusion because that’s what I would’ve done too but, because I knew what I was doing that left me wondering why your parents pay you a visit. It really got me thinking about their presence here because, well, they being here made me realize something was up. Your parents always have an agenda but this time they didn’t give you a hard time about this place and their timing was off so I did some digging and…”  She is talking too fast and he’s struggling to catch up with what she means until she stops and looks at him, really paying attention to him since they started talking. That’s when he realizes she looks conflicted about something, clearly struggling with what she’s going to say. “It’s not easy what I’m going to say but… Julie’s mom is not dead.” </p><p> </p><p>     He feels as if someone punched him so hard he cannot process what he heard right now because… WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK. </p><p> </p><p>     His face must be a poem right now. </p><p> </p><p>     “I figured you didn’t know. When she told me her mom died I searched through our archives and did a lot of digging to find nothing which is very odd. If there’s something we do right is keeping a good record. Not thanks to you.” He knows she can’t help but to throw that jab at him and it’s fine, he deserves whatever crap she wants to throw at his abilities as a ruler. “And then she showed me a picture of them together which reminded me of someone but I didn’t follow through on that until your parents were here. Why would they want you to break up with a human? It didn't make sense that they were so adamant about it but then I went to Olympus and realized that the woman in the picture Julie showed me lives there.”</p><p> </p><p>     He feels as if his whole world has been turned upside down and even if a part of him wants to dismiss whatever Hecate is telling him he knows that she’s being honest, she’s not one for making a circus. If she’s telling him this is because it’s true. “What do you mean?” He doesn’t know how he is even speaking right now, but somehow the question has already escaped his lips. </p><p> </p><p>     “Julie Molina is the daughter of Demeter, aka Rose Molina. Julie is a demigod, Luke.” Says Hecate and that’s when he realizes this is officially too much for him to even begin to process. </p><p> </p><p>     The love of his existence is a demigod. This changes absolutely everything. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     He rarely visits Olympus outside of the mandatory meetings they have every year so he can’t be really bothered by the looks of surprise some gods cast upon seeing him. He doesn’t care, he has shit to do. At least he had the good idea of making Hermes deliver a message so Demeter already knows he wants to meet with her. </p><p> </p><p>     That saves him from wasting time and when they find each other at the designated spot he’s going to skip formalities and to cut directly to the chase. However, she beats him to it.</p><p> </p><p>     “I can’t deny that your message surprised me Hades. It’s not like you and I have business to talk about.” Her comment is expected, she’s right after all, if it wasn’t for Julie’s existence they wouldn’t have anything to talk about. But Julie exists and he loves her, so there’s plenty to talk about. </p><p> </p><p>     (However, internally he winces because ouch! Those are the first words the mother of the love of his existence has said to him and he can’t deny it stings a little.)</p><p> </p><p>     “You have a daughter named Julie Molina, and she’s the love of my existence.” He announces, because there’s no time to waste. “We have a lot to talk about.”</p><p> </p><p>     He’s been trained by Alex to try and be tactful when delivering this type of news so now that he dropped a bomb on her, he allows Rose time to actually comprehend the fact that he knows about her secret family. She looks completely flabbergasted for a full second, before shaking her head, almost in an angry manner.</p><p> </p><p>     “You don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no way you know about my Julie.” Although she’s clearly trying to project her voice into something that resembles an imposing stance, he can see the cracks in the foundation and the way she’s almost about to cry. For a second, he regrets being so harsh and not having spent time easing her into the subject but he really doesn’t believe they have time to waste. He looks for the photograph he stole of them and shows it to Rose; who starts crying the second she recognizes her daughter. “It’s her, it’s really her. How do you…?” </p><p> </p><p>     He shrugs, knowing what she’s about to ask but is unable to, because of all the tears that flow freely from her eyes. “It was a coincidence, honestly. I didn’t mean for any of it to happen, and I especially didn’t expect to fall in love with her.” He takes a break because it still hurts remembering how much he loves her and how much he misses her. “I ended things before they got out of hand. I wanted to spare her from this crap… But you are her mother and she should know.” She looks at him through the tears as if she can’t believe what she’s hearing. He rushes to explain himself. “This is not me using you to win her back. For all I know she might never want to see me again and I have to exist with that but you are her mother and she told me you died which means she doesn’t know anything about you; which in turn means there’s a part of who she is she completely ignores. She needs to know.”</p><p> </p><p>     “You don’t know what my daughter needs. This seems like you’re trying to use me to get back together with her.” Rose says to him and it’s a fair assessment but that doesn’t make it true.</p><p> </p><p>     “For the past couple of months I’ve gotten to know Julie, she’s an amazing person who pours her heart into everything she does and works hard to keep alive the memory of her mother. I get that this mythological crap you and I have to deal with is a mess but she’s living her life without a big piece of the puzzle and she deserves to know. This is not about me, this is about Julie. This is about someone who deserves to be happy and have her mother back. I will always love her and that’s why I’m doing this, but this is not about me getting her back. If anything, I’m expecting she’ll flee the second she knows what I am and I have made my peace with it.” He explains passionately, because he’s tired of everyone trying to tell him what to do or forbidding him from doing stuff, just for once he would like for people to be on his side. </p><p> </p><p>     Rose sighs, as if she was defeated. “Fine, but I’m doing this for my daughter, Romeo. I will not get into whatever your relationship is.” Is all she says which is music to Luke’s ears.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     It feels strange coming back to the store after being away for so long (almost three weeks, that’s what Alex and Reggie let him know). He feels very nervous but the sight of all the flowers remind him of Julie and it's impossible for him not to smile. That’s what gives him the strength to open the door and go inside for what it feels the first time in forever.</p><p> </p><p>     It's Andi who notices him and after a polite greeting she informs him that Julie is at the back with some orders. He doesn’t know if her or the rest of the employees know about their break up, but she lets him go on his own to look for Julie, just like they would when they were still together. When he gets to where she is, he doesn’t let himself waste time admiring her, he has important things to do today. This isn’t about him being a lovesick idiot.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey. Can we talk upstairs?” Those are the actual words he chooses to say to her after weeks apart. Great. </p><p> </p><p>     She averts her eyes from the tulips in front of her when he talks and focuses on him, as if she were studying him. For a second, that’s the only acknowledgement she makes of his presence or his words but suddenly, and without saying anything, she marches upstairs making it clear he has to follow her. Scrambling to catch up he nods discreetly at Rose for her to enter the store and wait.</p><p> </p><p>     Once he's upstairs he focuses all his energy on what he's about to drop on her. This isn't the time to get distracted by the sight of her home or by Carlos, even if the feline does test the limits of his attention.</p><p> </p><p>     She crosses her arms, waiting for him to speak. He tries not to dwell on the fact that there’s no affection for him in those eyes anymore. He deserves that. </p><p> </p><p>     “I know you probably don't want to see me or hear me but I found something and I think you should know. If it’s okay with you I would like to retrieve it, it’s downstairs.” If either of them are surprised by the seriousness in his voice, none of them make signs of it.</p><p> </p><p>     “Really Luke? That’s why you are here?” She crosses her arms, clearly not pleased by the situation. He's about to plead but she sighs loudly, almost as if she can't believe herself. “Fine, go and look for whatever you found. After that I want you to leave.”</p><p> </p><p>     He’s rushing down the stairs as quickly as he can, grabbing Rose by the wrist before going back up. He instructs her to get behind him as they enter the room and Julie looks at him confused.</p><p> </p><p>     “I thought you said…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Julie, I believe this is your mother, Rose.” He says before stepping to a side to reveal the goddess of harvest and agriculture.</p><p> </p><p>     He can see how Julie's expressions go from annoyed to confused to… Well he's not completely sure how to interpret what he’s witnessing right now because it’s not like people who you thought were dead appear alive every other day; but it’s a mixture of happiness, disbelief and simply what the hell. </p><p> </p><p>     “Mom?” Julie’s eyes are full of tears and her voice is small and fearful but Rose’s isn’t.</p><p> </p><p>     “Mija, I’ve missed you so much.” She says before they unite in an embrace. </p><p> </p><p>     Luke takes that as his cue to leave them alone. He takes a few minutes to compose himself before going back to the store and inform Andi that he’s going to help her as Julie is going to be occupied for the foreseeable future. It's obvious that the woman wants to say something but because this is not Luke’s first time helping around the store and Julie's absence is clear, she just accepts the help.</p><p> </p><p>     He's not surprised by the fact that he spends the whole day behind the counter, accompanied by Andi and then by Nick, who doesn't bat an eye at his presence. He is surprised, however, when he has to close the store by himself because Julie and Rose are still upstairs. But it’s not like there’s a precedent of how many hours daughters and mothers who are thought to be dead but really are goddesses are supposed to spend catching up with each other. </p><p> </p><p>     It's nearing eleven thirty when Rose finds him speaking to the flowers he has put in the back of the store. She looks wrecked and he can't imagine the kind of conversation they've must have had, but she also looks happy and that makes it all worthy.</p><p> </p><p>     “She’s waiting for you.” Is all she says to him before hesitating briefly and giving him a quick hug; something tells Luke she doesn’t do it out of free will but because she feels like she owes him, which is fine by him, he doesn’t feel like he really deserves to be hugged right now. “Thank you for this, Ha... Luke.” She whispers to him before breaking the embrace and leaving the store.</p><p> </p><p>     He stays rooted in his spot for a while, without knowing what to feel or think because Rose didn't give him much to work with and he wasn’t really expecting much interaction with Julie. </p><p> </p><p>     Very slowly he walks to the stairs that take him to Julie but he feels so nervous and afraid his feet feel like cement. He can't move. But he knows he desperately needs to, because Julie is upstairs and waiting for him. He takes a big breath he doesn’t need and takes the first step towards her, without knowing what to expect. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>My <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> in case you wanna chat! </p><p>The fic's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> playlist</a> if you want to listen!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Secrets I have held in my heart, are harder to hide than I thought</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Tuesday everyone! I can't believe there's only for more chapters to this side of the story.</p><p>Enjoy the reading! </p><p>Chapter title is from Arctic Monkeys': "I Wanna Be Yours".</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     When he finally gets to her place, the door is opened and Julie is sitting in the middle of her living room with her eyes swollen and her body completely shaken, probably because of the events of the afternoon. He doesn’t waste a minute thinking if it's appropriate for him to approach her and surround her in an embrace; he just feels she needs someone and he’s there. Luckily she doesn't complain or fight him, instead she completely surrenders and arranges herself to sit in his lap and cry freely in his chest. He doesn't know if those are happy or sad tears and he’s not brave enough to ask her. It kills him that he doesn't know but it’s not like him to press her for details, especially not now, so he just lets the room fall into silence.</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn't know how long they stay like that but when she breaks the silence he’s completely caught off base by her words.</p><p> </p><p>     “I want to go to the Underworld.” She announces, face still against his chest so she’s not even looking at him, which prevents him from doing a proper reading of her emotional state. However, it’s very clear that she’s not asking, she’s requesting it. It's implicit that he owes her that much and he appreciates her not bringing up the fact that he hid so much from her. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s so surprised by her words he doesn’t even registers that technically he hasn’t revealed his identity to her, so her knowledge of the Underworld must’ve come from Rose, robbing him of a chance to introduce himself in his own terms. He decides not to dwell on that, otherwise he would feel awful. Instead, he simply replies to her question; “Now?” That's all he can ask because it doesn’t matter, he's giving her whatever he wants.</p><p> </p><p>     “Tomorrow. I’ll see you at the door at nine.” He says and it's clear she’s dismissing him which he completely understands, she needs time to process everything that happened today. </p><p> </p><p>     Pushing his luck he stands up and takes her to the bed, depositing her there before covering her with her sheets. She doesn’t say anything but he still takes a second to look at her before walking away. Once he crosses the door he realizes any other time he would’ve felt sad by the fact that she clearly needs space from him, but not right now, after the day she’s had she deserves all the space she wants and he’s more than willing to give it to her.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>     He’s at eight fifty at the flower shop and by nine they are already in the Underworld. </p><p> </p><p>     There’s no kisses or hugs as a greeting, rather a simple ‘Hello’ followed by a ‘Are you ready? Follow me.’ Once they reach his place he takes a moment, letting her absorb the change in the surroundings. He knows the travel is not necessarily easy, especially for someone who’s not used to the whole mythological aspect of life, so he lets her have a couple of minutes before they start to walk around. </p><p> </p><p>     The whole tour is a relatively impersonal affair and even if he expected that, it hurts that their relationship has come to this; two people who once laughed together now are stuck in this awkward phase. So, he sticks to his role and tries not to let his mind wander a lot which means he explains to her everything in as much detail as he can; she doesn't speak much except for the occasional question but because he’s so thorough she mostly remains quiet. She also doesn’t show much of what she’s thinking, as if she’s using a mask. He tries (and fails) not to be hurt by that. </p><p> </p><p>     The only time her face actually reflects an emotion is when Alex is able to finally introduce her to Willie. It warms his heart to see her hug his friends with so much care, he doesn’t even have it in him to be jealous about the fact that they got a hug while he didn’t. He knows he doesn’t deserve it, his friends on the contrary, definitely do. </p><p> </p><p>     “Julie, I can’t believe I can finally introduce you to Willie; my love and my partner.” His blonde friend says, beaming with pride. Julie is clearly happy to meet the man Alex spent so much time gushing about and her smile, the first one he sees since before they broke up, proves as much.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s nice to finally put a face to the man this one speaks so highly of. It's a pleasure to meet you Willie.” She says while giving him a hug and he's not sure whose smile is the biggest one: Julie’s or Willie’s. </p><p> </p><p>     Probably Alex’s.</p><p> </p><p>     The tour comes to an end and he guides her to his chambers inside of the castle, the only place they haven’t been to because he hoped that by being there they would be able to have privacy and talk. Also because this is his place and he’s always wanted to share it with her, even if he doesn’t like it that much. He watches her look around the room in silence, inspecting a lifetime of things he has accumulated; including the picture of them he took from her fridge. She takes it and sits in his bed, still in complete silence, eyes glued to the photo. </p><p> </p><p>     He's been patient and understanding about her refusal to talk, but right now he’s about to lose it, this is driving him completely insane but the last thing he wants to do is push her and ruin his chances at… Well, he's not sure of what. He’s not sure if there’s even a relationship between them anymore.</p><p> </p><p>     “I want you to tell me your story.” She says after a while. Once again it is an order but he’s happy to oblige because she still makes him want to share everything. The fact that he's finally free to do so makes him feel not only relieved but actually excited; even if there’s a part of him that’s scared because he knows there’s no coming back from this but if she's going to leave she might as well do it with all the information and from his own mouth. No less.</p><p> </p><p>     “I didn’t lie when I said I didn’t get along with my parents but their names are Coeus and Phoebe, not Mitch and Emily. They were blessed by Zeus after the Titanomachy and their son, me, was awarded with a huge coveted prize: the Underworld. I’ve been the god of death since I was born and I have hated every second of it. I’m not…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Weren’t you supposed to be evil and scary? I never thought the god of the death would be an excitable puppy who doesn’t wear sleeves. Someone should let every mythology book know.” Her words surprise him for many reasons, the first one being that he didn’t expect her to interrupt him but the second because she looked so serious, the joke and the playful tone seem to come out of nowhere, but when he locks eyes with her he realizes she’s smiling at him and his heart does a somersault. </p><p> </p><p>     He didn’t know hearts could do that.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah,” he chuckles, before resuming his story. “As you can see, I’m not necessarily the best fit to rule this place and when other gods started to join me here I took advantage and delegated jobs to go and meander around the human world. I found music in ancient Greece and that’s when I realized that’s what I loved doing; creating music, playing music, listening to music… Apollo is the god of it but for me it used to be my everything, I might be stuck in this place and I will never stop being the king of the Underworld but music is what I chose to do with my existence every day. It’s what brought me and Alex and Reggie together, it’s what… It's what made us meet in the first place. Music is my thing.”</p><p>   </p><p>     “So you’ve been playing since ancient Greece?” She asks, clearly trying to get her head around the fact that her former boyfriend is not a year older than her but a few eons older. </p><p> </p><p>     “Yes. Well, that’s when I started learning but the guys and I have been playing publicly since the Renaissance, I think. Alex is better with the dates.” He explains and suddenly she starts laughing so hard she clutches her belly. Honestly? He gets it. If he hadn’t been there, he’d probably laugh at his own story, because it’s fucking ridiculous.</p><p> </p><p>     “Sorry, okay. Renaissance, sure.” She says, once she’s regained composure. “So you have lived forever but when I met you, you didn’t have a smartphone?” </p><p> </p><p>     He’s caught off base with that question, frowning at her but answering nonetheless. “I really liked the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s after the Y2K I stopped hanging out outside for a while. Things here were hectic as well, because of the Iraq war and other stuff so I didn’t keep up with the technological advances as much. Once I realized everything had changed a lot I wasn’t really keen on keeping up with technology. It’s not like I needed it anyways. I like the fact that I seem stuck in the nineties.”</p><p> </p><p>     “But you got a smartphone now.” She says, pointing at his bedside table, where he left his phone after breaking up with her. His eyes follow her finger and he nods, before rubbing his neck feeling a little embarrassed. </p><p> </p><p>     “I wanted to talk to you.” He says looking at her in the eyes, and he can’t help but smile when he notices the redness in her cheeks. “I also wanted to take pictures of you.”</p><p> </p><p>     “That’s enough Romeo. I know you only have it because of Spotify Premium.” She silences him, but her playful edge and the fact that she didn’t shy away from his stare, make him smile even more. </p><p> </p><p>     All of the sudden they are once again surrounded by silence, both sitting at opposite sides of the bed. Because this is the closest they’ve been in a while without tears and sadness he lets himself enjoy that; she’s in his room, she’s in his bed. Never in his wildest thoughts he hoped that would occur. He prays to whoever is listening that her scent stays there at least for a couple of days even if it’ll drive him even more insane than he already is. </p><p> </p><p>     "Why me?” She asks after a while and he has to take a couple of minutes because he doesn’t know how to answer that question, at least not in a way that would make her satisfied.</p><p> </p><p>     “I don’t know why Julie. I honestly don’t. But I will tell you that when I saw you on stage something in me became alive and then I met you and you were amazing in every sense of the word. Hanging with you made me feel like I was actually a king.” He’s not going to say that he loves her, he doesn’t even have to restrain himself, he knows this is not the time. What he can’t help himself from doing is taking her hand and looking at her in the eyes because he needs her to pay attention to him. “I had to bend facts and hide a part of who I am, I have to exist with that in my conscience and I ask you to forgive me for not being able to fully show you who I am. But I want you to know that I never lied about you. When I said I was happy hanging out with you I meant it. When I said you were beautiful I meant it. I’m a musician, not an actor, I never had to act a certain way around you. The reason I followed you like a puppy is because I craved being with you, because you have made me happier than I have ever been. You need to know that, even if we never see each other again I want you to know that.”</p><p> </p><p>     She squeezes his hand lightly before extricating it from his. He tries not to feel hurt about it even if it’s hard not to. “I know Luke. You are many things including king and god but you are not one to fake happiness.” She says to him and he nods, it’s important for him that she knows that. “Were you ever going to tell me?”</p><p> </p><p>     “Would you have believed me?” He asks her but he’s not expecting an answer from her. “I’m not trying to turn this on you but even if I would’ve told you this is hard to believe if you don’t get to see it with your own eyes. Gods are able to roam around Earth freely but for humans the boundaries are different. I wanted to show you this but I couldn’t, I wanted to tell you who I am instead of hiding or bending the truth but I couldn’t. Please believe me when I say I  wanted you to know this. When you showed me around your store and your house all I could think about was how different it is from here and a part of me hoped I would be able to show you around.”</p><p> </p><p>     “And now you did.” She says and he doesn’t know how to interpret the tone she uses. She doesn’t sound as if she’s simply stating a fact but he knows there’s no hope in her voice or joy about being there, which makes sense because she’s standing in literal hell. “I’m thankful that you showed me around and answered my questions.” </p><p> </p><p>     He takes advantage of the way the conversation is going to ask about her. “How are you feeling? I know you still have a lot to process after what happened yesterday and this is just putting more things on your plate. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Luke, yesterday my mother, whom I believe was dead, hugged me and told me I am a demigod and today I’m touring the Underworld with the ruler of the place. I think we’re past the stage of overwhelm, we need a new word for what I’m feeling right now.” She sighs and Luke wants to hug her, to try and help her feel better. </p><p> </p><p>     So he decides to ask: “Can I hug you?” </p><p> </p><p>     Julie looks at him for a second before nodding. He doesn’t waste a second before taking her in his arms and hugging her tightly. He didn’t think he would be able to do that; so he tries to enjoy it without being a creep and smelling her hair or doing something to make her feel uncomfortable but the way she arranges herself to fit perfectly in his arms with her head resting on top of his heart makes him feel like she hasn’t forgot his body. He’s trying very hard not to get carried away by that. </p><p> </p><p>     “Why didn’t you sleep with me?” Her question is one he was ready to explain even if she didn’t answer, because if anything, she deserves to know his reasoning behind the night they broke up.</p><p>           </p><p>     “I was already crossing too many lines Julie. I was hiding a part of my identity that even if I don’t like it, it’s still a big part of who I am. I was trying to bend the truth and it just felt like I was already biting more than I could chew. My relationship with you... Yeah, it made me happy, but was already testing the limits between godly and human interactions. Even if I wanted to sleep with you and I want to get this on the record, I definitely wanted that because you’re a very beautiful, kind, smart and sexy woman with the voice of an angel…” That gets a small giggle out of her which causes him to look at her in awe because of how much he wants to kiss her right now. He doesn’t, but the feeling stays anyways. “It didn’t feel right Julie, I couldn’t be in your bed because I didn’t deserve it. You need to know who you’re sleeping with and up until now you didn’t know the whole truth. One of the hardest things I’ve done is breaking that kiss but it was the right thing to do, I don’t regret stopping our making out session.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I get that now and I appreciate it.” She says, breaking away from the embrace and sitting in front of him. “I hated you at that moment, for many reasons but most of those have already been cleared now but… I need time.” He nods because he comprehends; he wasn’t stupid to expect anything different and yet… The fact that she’s not running away disgusted and angry at him, like he was expecting to happen makes him feel hope. He clings onto that.</p><p> </p><p>     “I understand.” Is all he can answer all while getting up from the bed and offering his arm to her, just like he did the night they met. She takes it and he tries to keep his heart from singing. “Let me show you the view from the top of the castle.” He says to her and the smile she sends his way makes him think that maybe there’s a chance for them.</p><p> </p><p>     After a couple of hours, she decides it’s been a very long day so they go back to the store in relative silence and when they reach the entrance she hesitates for a second, before hugging him tightly. </p><p> </p><p>     “Thank you.” Is all she says, standing on her toes to kiss him on the cheek before going to the door. Once there she looks at him with a barely there smile, “Keep your phone charged.” Is the last thing she says to him before entering her place.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>     Five days later his phone rings and he answers immediately, because there’s only one person who calls his number. </p><p> </p><p>     “Hey!” She says on the other line and he has to keep himself centered and focused because he doesn’t want to get his hopes up. She could be calling for any reason and he needs to remember that. “Are you busy? Can we talk?” When he lets her know he can make time for her he tries to keep his voice steady even if his heart is beating like thunder. “I would like to meet you tomorrow, at seven thirty. I’ll send you the location.” </p><p> </p><p>     Oh. He wasn’t expecting that.</p><p> </p><p>     “Would you like me to bring you anything or…?” </p><p> </p><p>     “No. There’s no need; just… wear sleeves.” He’s confused by her request, because he knows she likes her arms so what she’s asking him to do doesn’t necessarily make sense to him. She seems to be able to hear his thoughts so she adds: “Try not to look like you come straight from a nineties commercial, ask Flynn or the guys for help.” </p><p> </p><p>     “Wow, if I didn’t already know you like the way I dress I would be offended.” Is all he manages to say which is a win because it makes her laugh.</p><p> </p><p>     “When you get here tomorrow you’ll understand, I promise. See you tomorrow Luke.” She says before hanging up, leaving him with a scrambled brain and a change of plans, because now apparently he needs to change the way he dresses. He goes to ask Flynn for help and she seems to be waiting for him, which makes him realize she must have information he doesn’t but she’s not impressed by his attempts of getting information out of her.</p><p> </p><p>     That’s why when Luke arrives at seven thirty to the front door of Ray’s bakery he feels very startled because obviously he assumes the reason he’s there is because he’s going to meet Julie’s father which is very much boyfriend territory. Ever since she called yesterday he’s tried to remain calm and collected but right now he doesn’t know how to keep his shit together. Thankfully, that’s the moment Julie decides to appear, with a large arrangement of dahlias. </p><p> </p><p>     “Hey Luke!” He smiles at her immediately, opening the door so that she’s able to enter without much trouble. After stepping in behind her, he takes a second to scan the place; Julie has shown him pictures and he has tried some of their baked goods but he’s never been there so it takes him a minute to look around the place. Apparently the Molina brand is warm and cozy because he feels very comfortable and happy to be there but that’s probably him being biased. “This is my dad, Ray Molina.” Julie’s voice makes him blink a couple of times before focusing on the man in front of him who chuckles at him, probably because how obvious it is that he was looking at the place and not paying attention. “Dad, this is Luke.”</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Molina!” He says, trying to keep his voice neutral but failing in the process making father and daughter laugh at his obvious excitement. He extends his hand, while trying to apologize.  “Sorry, Julie has told me a lot about this place and you as well.”<br/><br/>     </p><p>     “Likewise, it was about time we met each other.” Answers Julie’s father before shaking his hand. “And feel free to call me Ray. Go and sit down, I’ll go and get our breakfast.” The man takes Julie’s dahlias with him before she leads Luke to a secluded table and sits next to him. Being so close to her makes it harder to keep his shit together but Julie puts his hand in his thigh and smiles at him, in an obvious effort to try and calm him down. </p><p> </p><p>     She doesn’t say anything and he doesn’t have a chance to speak because suddenly Ray is there with a tray full of baked goods for them to eat. “I hope you are hungry Luke, I brought some of my best stuff.” </p><p> </p><p>     “I uh, yeah. I’d like to apologize for my lack of manners in advance.” Once again, he makes them laugh but he’s not paying attention about how ridiculous it is that their laughter is almost the same because he’s stuffing his mouth with a mallorca that almost makes him want to moan. “This is delicious, it tastes better than the ones Julie bought me!”<br/><br/></p><p>     “Hey! You said it was delicious! Liar.” She answers, putting her café con leche down and crossing his arms. He gets that she’s trying to look mad but she looks very cute right now so he whispers it to her, making her blush. He doesn’t notice the way Ray is staring at them, letting them be for a couple of minutes before talking.</p><p> </p><p>     “That’s because these are straight from the oven. Nothing beats that.” Luke nods because it makes sense even to him, who is an expert at eating but not an expert at cooking. “I’m glad you like them Luke. Those are some of our best sellers.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, I’d like to take some to share with my friends. Reggie would die for this.” He says to Julie, who nods because she’s already familiar with the appetite of the bassist.</p><p> </p><p>     “We can make that work. But I’d like to get to know you first, Julie has told me a lot but I’d like to hear from you.” Says Ray and Luke has no idea what that means, does he know everything? Does he know the human appropriate version? Clearly looking distressed, Julie pulls him out of the misery. </p><p> </p><p>     “It’s okay, I told him you’re an aspiring musician.” After hearing her, he stops looking distressed and starts looking very offended. Of fucking course.</p><p> </p><p>     “An aspiring musician? Jules, you wound me! I am a rockstar Mr. Molina, do not listen to your daughter” He jokes, exaggerating how offended he actually is but it pays off when Ray laughs at his antics and Julie rolls her eyes but with the fondness she seems to reserve only for him. “I have a band with my friends Alex and Reggie, we play almost every weekend. Actually, a month ago Julie joined us on stage.” He explains and Ray just beams at his comment.</p><p> </p><p>     “Really? Mija, why didn’t you tell me?” The pride in Ray’s voice would be able to fill the place up, contrasting very clearly with Julie’s facial expression. It doesn’t take too long for him to realize that the reason behind it is because that’s the day they broke up. </p><p> </p><p>     If he could bang his head to the table forever, he definitely would. Maybe between each bang he’d gain some common sense.</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, there’s no footage about our performance.” He tries to save the situation and Ray seems content with that explanation so he celebrates by squeezing Julie’s hand on his thigh. “But your daughter was amazing Mr. Molina, she had everyone's attention. It was a terrific performance.” </p><p> </p><p>     “That’s my girl.” He says, kissing Julie in the cheek, clearly very proud of his daughter. Luke cannot help but to watch and feel a little bit of jealousy, because he would kill to share a moment like that with his parents. Heck, he’d kill for a quarter of what he’s witnessing. “But we’re getting side tracked here, I want to know you. And please remember, you can call me Ray.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh but I rather talk about Julie, she’s more interesting anyways.” Luke shrugs as he reaches to drink his coffee, ignoring the way father and daughter look at each other. He’s once again distracted by the food, so he’s unable to listen when Ray whispers to his daughter: “Me cae bien este chico”.*</p><p> </p><p>     “Luke, tell my dad about your music before this turns into a ‘Julie fest’, please.” With pleading eyes and a pout that makes him want to kiss her, he’s powerless against her even if he’d really like to turn breakfast into a ‘Julie fest’ because talking about her is one of his favorite things to do.</p><p> </p><p>     “Fine, but I’m pretty sure your dad wouldn’t mind turning this into a conversation where all we do is fawn over you.” He answers, smiling at her for a second before turning to Ray. “Well, the band’s name is Sunset Curve and we have a sound that according to your daughter, the best way to describe it is ‘stuck in the 90’s rock’...”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>     They stay with Ray until he’s unable to keep avoiding his responsibilities in the kitchen so he says goodbye to Julie and then, to Luke’s utter surprise, he gives him a hug as a sendoff. “You’re always welcomed here, so don’t be a stranger. We have to get to that ‘Julie fest’ sometime!” Is the last thing he says before handing Luke a bag full of mallorcas and leaving for the kitchen. He can’t believe he has received a hug from both of Julie’s parents. Unbelievable. </p><p> </p><p>     “He liked you a lot.” Says Julie, grabbing his free arm once they leave the bakery and start to walk to her shop. He doesn’t know what to say mostly because he’s really dazzled by the hug… Well, he’s amazed by everything that happened but the hug was just the cherry on top.</p><p> </p><p>     “But why would he like me? You haven’t told him about Rose for him to like me. Doesn’t he know that we b…?” He doesn’t finish the sentence because he doesn’t really need to for Julie to get the point, but mostly he doesn’t finish it for the sake of the situation. He doesn’t know where they stand with each other and he’s not going to jinx it by bringing what happened for a second time that morning. </p><p> </p><p>     “You’re right. He doesn’t know about mom because we are still figuring out how to let him know. He also doesn’t know what happened between us.” She says with a sad note in her voice which he completely understands because that’s how he feels every time he remembers what happened. “I didn’t tell him because I was hoping we would be able to work things out and get back together.”</p><p> </p><p>     He wonders if there was ever a moment with her when he was not in a constant state of shock. He knows the answer is no but can’t be bothered to actually be mad at it. Being around Julie Molina meant being always in complete surprise because of her.</p><p> </p><p>     “You were?” Is all he manages to say, but he realizes it comes more like a squeak which makes her chuckle. Yeah, he can live with his constant state of surprise if that meant he could get Julie to laugh. It’s worth it.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yes, Luke. I mean, like I said yesterday, that night I was really mad at you and I was very disappointed but I never stopped missing you and…” She seems like she’s about to say something else but changes her mind at the last minute, shaking her head at herself. Even if he wants to pry, he doesn’t because he doesn’t like the idea of pushing her. “Yeah, I was hoping we’d get back together if you explained yourself and I was satisfied with that answer.” </p><p> </p><p>     This is it, time to shoot his shot. “Is that what we are doing right now?”</p><p> </p><p>     She raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “I just don’t go around introducing random people to my dad, Luke. This is me letting you know I want to get back together… This is also me letting you know I want to take things slow.” </p><p> </p><p>     “Of course, everything you want Julie.” He says, earnest. Everything he’s always wanted is to be able to love her without lies and now that the truth is out there he’s able to hold his heart in his hands and give it to her, if she wanted to. </p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, everything?” She asks, eyebrows rising and a playful smirk on her lips, as she takes a step closer, now forgetting all about personal space, he realizes this girl has him wrapped around her beautiful fingers. It’s beyond ridiculous. “I want you to kiss me.” </p><p> </p><p>     “You don’t have to ask me twice.” His free arm surrounds her, pulling her closer than she was. He looks at her face for a second, rubbing their noses together before diving in to kiss her. </p><p> </p><p>     It’s nothing like before, Luke realizes as their lips collide, because this kiss is honest, there’s no more hiding, no more bending the truth. This kiss tastes like freedom and he loves it. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>* "Me cae bien este chico" = "I like this guy."</p><p>I haven't come up with a great name to give to Ray's bakery so if you have a suggestion feel free to share it with me! </p><p>My <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> in case you wanna chat! </p><p>The fic's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> playlist</a> if you want to listen!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Let me inside, I wanna get to know you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Saturday! I totally forgot I was supposed to post so I woke up from my nap hurrying to give this a quick read so you could have a chapter today.</p><p>Enjoy!</p><p>Chapter title is from Harry Styles': "Sunflower Vol. 6"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     It doesn’t take long for Luke to realize that ‘taking things slow’ simply means getting to know each other all over again, which is something that makes him so happy that, for a second, the knowledge of being in love with her disappears into the background. It’s not like he completely forgets he’s head over heels for her, it’s just something so obvious to him that it’s easy to pay attention to other things. </p><p> </p><p>     Like, for example, getting to know Julie as a demigod. Which is probably one of the most unexpected thoughts he’s ever had but he’s definitely not complaining too much about it. </p><p> </p><p>     “Are you still processing it or do you want to talk about it?” He asks her a couple of days after meeting his dad. They’re at the Underworld where Reggie suggested they take a boat to show Julie around the rivers, even if he objected “This isn’t freaking Venice, Reg!” Julie liked the idea so there they are; him ‘putting his biceps at work’ (her words, not his) and her looking around and making questions every now and then.</p><p> </p><p>     “I guess I can talk about it even if I’m still processing it.” She says, after a second.  He nods, because even if he’ll never understand what she’s going through he can understand the fact that her whole life has been turned upside down. “It’s like seeing everything through another set of glasses, you know? Because I already knew how my parents met and fell in love but know I know what my mom had to go through… It’s very hard to come to terms that this is someone who had to fake her death to protect the two people whom she loves the most.”</p><p> </p><p>     He looks at her and the way her eyes have unshed tears so he takes advantage of the geography and docks the boat at the island of Elysium, so that way she at least has a nice view while sharing her thoughts. </p><p> </p><p>     “I love her, I always have and I understand she didn’t do it because she simply wanted to leave but was forced to do so. I won’t ever hold that against her but that doesn’t mean it’s easy for me to wrap my head around my identity or the fact that we haven’t had a relationship for most of the time I’ve existed… I guess that’s why baby steps exist, anyways.” She looks pained and this is something he can actually understand because if anything, difficult relationships with parents is something he’s an expert so he comes close to her and takes her hand in his. </p><p> </p><p>     “When I mentioned your name to Rose, she looked as if she’d heard the most beautiful melody. If there’s anything I know is that she loves you. I know it’s not easy but you two.... If anyone deserves a second chance is you.” He says, swallowing the rest of the words he’d like to say because he doesn’t want to overstep or come on too strong.</p><p> </p><p>     “I know, I just wish it was easier or I had more people to talk about it because I literally am the only person going through this so it’s not like much people will understand. I appreciate you listening to me.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Always Julie, you know that.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Maybe you should start calling me Persephone, it might help with me getting used to all mythological shit.” She jokes and he can’t help but to smile fondly at her because he doesn’t care what name she uses, she’ll always be the most amazing person he’s ever met. “My mom told me that’s what she wanted to name me but for obvious reasons she didn’t. She also told me that because of my godly heritage I have certain… abilities.” Luke raises his eyebrows, not completely following her so she explains “Since my mom’s the goddess of harvest and agriculture as her daughter I have certain power over the vegetation, meaning, my flowers.”</p><p> </p><p>     Her words make something click in his head, that’s why he can’t help his excitement when he comments: “I always thought your flowers were brighter, healthier and overall more beautiful than the rest!”</p><p> </p><p>     “It appears you were right even if part of me just wants to call you dramatic.” She says with a laugh, before asking him if they can take a walk around Elysium. He nods and helps her get out of the boat before realizing that, as they walk, she hasn’t taken her hand away from his, instead she took it upon herself to intertwine their fingers. </p><p> </p><p>     She’s looking at the place which is, without a doubt, the only part of his kingdom worthy of taking one’s breath away. But he’s not looking at the meadows, he’s looking at her, because she’s the only one worth looking in any corner of the world they are. </p><p> </p><p>     “When you told me your mom was dead, my first instinct was to look for her and take her here, in case she was somewhere else. But I didn’t do it even if I wanted to so badly…” He says, taking their linked hands and kissing hers with affection before continuing. “It felt wrong looking for your mother and getting to meet her when you’d never be able to connect with her during your lifetime, you know? Now I realize if I’d done that maybe I would have figured everything out sooner.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m not trying to be mean but I’m pretty sure Flynn would’ve realized sooner anyways.” She pokes fun at him and he nods with a chuckle because she’s probably (definitely) right about that. He doesn’t say anything else but it doesn’t seem to matter because all of the sudden he feels her arms around him and they’re hugging; why he doesn’t know but he also doesn’t care because he loves it.</p><p> </p><p>     “This is my favorite place in the entire world.” He whispers in her ear while his hands are busy caressing her back. He wishes there was someone to take their picture right now.</p><p> </p><p>     “Elysium?”</p><p> </p><p>     He laughs, mostly because he can’t help himself. “No Julie, your arms.” He explains, separating their bodies just a little so that he’s able to see her when he elaborates. “Elysium is beautiful, I mean that’s kind of the point of the place but the rest of the Underworld is not. You’ve seen it, even if we get on the boat and pretend this is Venice or Echo park we both know we won’t see the skyline of Downtown Los Angeles but rather something depressing. I guess that’s why I am so smitten with you, because you’re the complete opposite of this place. I’m darkness, decay, death but you… Darling, dearest are the only one that’s capable of bloom in this place.” </p><p> </p><p>     She kisses him and it tastes like honey, like freedom, like truth, like love. Because that kiss makes him remember that he loves her, that he was willing to let her go because he loved her too much and now they’re there, kissing and he should be thankful his goodbye ended up being a see you later. </p><p> </p><p>     He should be thankful she’s still there.</p><p>     He is thankful that she’s still there.</p><p> </p><p>     He’d like to think he didn’t ‘fall’ for her. A part of him would like to pretend as if he had a choice in the matter when really he hadn't. The way her lips feel against his, soft but with an edge because she’s the one keeping the tempo makes him remember that he is a god but he was powerless the second she was in the field, no need for blood, guts and tears, he might as well have kneeled and given her the heart she herself had put in his chest. </p><p> </p><p>     He should tell her but then… The seed of their relationship has just been planted, he knows they need time, patience and more conversations, so he’s happy to wait. If she’s by his side, he’s excited, for the first time ever, to wait. </p><p> </p><p>     “I’d like to stay the night.” She says and he raises his eyebrows not expecting that petition. “To sleep okay? Get your mind out of the gutter, again Patterson.” She jokes, echoing the first night he stayed at her place.</p><p> </p><p>     “You’re the only one thinking that Molina. I’m just thinking about how you want to stay here because you just want to sleep in a castle.” He answers, playing with a strand of hair before tucking it behind her ear.</p><p> </p><p>     “You uncovered my secret plan, I just want to sleep in a castle with the king of the Underworld cuddling me.” She says, dreamy eyes and happy smile on her lips. How on Earth is she so damn cute?</p><p><br/>
<br/>
     “Then I should let you know I don’t sleep but I will definitely cuddle you.” He says, very delighted by Julie’s surprise face at the bit of information he just shared. </p><p> </p><p>     “This is just… too weird.” She says, taking his hand so that they can walk around Elysium. </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t have it in his heart to disagree with her, because it is weird and it will take time to get used to it, but he’s excited for that. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     After the first couple of visits, having Julie in the Underworld feels incredibly normal. He takes it as a sign to formally introduce her to everyone and to no one's surprise she ends up disarming everyone with her smile and personality; even Minos, the hardest of the judges, ends up warming up to her which Julie takes as a personal victory. However, her favorite part of the Underworld is not him or the guys, not even Hecate but rather Cerberus who downsizes the second he sees her and becomes a three headed lapdog following her around. “So much for being a scary guardian!” Luke thinks every time he sees the hell hound ask Julie for belly rubs. </p><p> </p><p>     (“I thought he was supposed to be your dog.” Says Julie one time she’s playing fetch with the dog while Luke plays his guitar for them.</p><p> </p><p>     “He is more of a communal dog. Apparently the only thing we share is an appreciation for beautiful florists who sing like angels.” He answers, making her roll her eyes and whisper to Cerberus that his dad is a sweet talker. Luke doesn’t care, he stands by his words and when the dog licks her face affectionately, he knows he’s been proven right. “Isn’t Carlos jealous of these interactions?” </p><p> </p><p>     “Carlos can live with it.” She answers, before making plans to bring the little dude so that he can meet the place.)</p><p> </p><p>     The more time Julie spends there also makes him grateful that the castle is equipped to cater some of her needs, making it easy for her to spend more time down there without making trips to her home. It does, however, make Julie ask a lot of questions about the state of the castle. Which is… fair, because it’s definitely not your regular Underworld castle (“It’s a cool Underworld castle!” Reggie’s comment wiggles his way into his mind and he can’t help but to shake his head at the poor imitation of Mean girls.)</p><p> </p><p>     “Why do you have bathrooms?” She asks one night when they are hanging out at the rehearsal room. </p><p> </p><p>     “I like the occasional bath.” Answers Reggie in a happy tone, making Alex shake his head, like he can’t still believe he’s friends with him. “I also like showers!” Continues, ignoring the way everyone is looking at him. </p><p> </p><p>     “I guess that explains it.” Laughs Julie, already used to the way Reggie behaves. </p><p> </p><p>     Even if his friend's antics seem weirder and weirder, most of the time he is thankful because it makes things easier for him and Julie. Another thing he appreciates? A fully equipped kitchen with a regularly stuffed fridge, courtesy of Alex and Willie. This time, she doesn’t even have to ask before the blonde is already explaining himself.</p><p> </p><p>     “Baking helps me keep me calm and keep me in check. Drums used to do the trick for me but I can’t be playing all the time so I resorted to the kitchen. Unlike when I play the drums, most of the gods appreciate when I bake because they get to eat what I do.” He explains and Willie kisses him on the cheek, proud of his partner. “But I’m pretty sure you are used to better baked goods because of your dad.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Don’t diminish yourself, what you bake is delicious.” Says Willie because he knows Alex will continue to second guess himself if no one stops him. “I also like to cook, it’s one of the things I loved to do with my family.” He explains with a melancholic smile, clearly remembering his time as a human. Julie, clearly sensing his sadness, reaches out to hug him.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey, if you teach me some of your recipes I’ll teach you how to cook Puerto Rican goodies. How about that?” She asks and that’s when Luke realizes, this is it, this is his beautiful family. It’s the most weird family he’s ever seen but he found it all on his own. He’s never been happier. </p><p> </p><p>     Hours later, after they are full of eating pizza and they are walking to their respective rooms, Julie asks him: “How about you? The castle seems to be designed to fit everyone else's opinion but yours. Did you even have a say in the organization around here?”</p><p> </p><p>     “What are you talking about? You’ve seen my office and my room!” He jokes, because she’s fundamentally right, he’d never cared much for the castle so he’d let the guys take over the reins to make it into something that resembled a home. </p><p> </p><p>     “You know what I mean. The kitchen is because of Willie and Alex, Reggie is the reason behind every bathroom which should not surprise me, you have an office because you need to at least pretend to care about this place and a room because the guys convinced you to have your own bedroom. So, did you have a say on anything around here or…?”</p><p> </p><p>     “Well, the music room was my idea, but that shouldn’t surprise you.” He answers, putting his arm around her shoulders to stir her into another direction. Without realizing it, Julie is giving him an opening to talk about a subject he’s been thinking for a really long time. “And the library is a communal effort, you know that.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, that reminds me, Reggie asked me to convince you to get a TV and video games. Apparently he wants to be able to watch Star Wars whenever he wants.” Says Julie, with a laugh. “Should I consider you convinced or do I need to seduce you?” She asks, batting her eyelashes at him and biting her lip. </p><p> </p><p>     Fucking Reggie knew what he was doing, obviously he can’t say no to her.  </p><p> </p><p>     “I mean, you can consider me convinced but I still want to be seduced.” He answers, using his free hand to grab her cheek and kiss her, something she’s eager to reciprocate. “He’ll have to pay for the Disney+ account, though.” Is the last thing he says before opening a door to an empty room. </p><p> </p><p>     “Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. tall, dark and handsome.” She jokes before looking around the very empty area. “If you’re going to tell me this is the room you had a hand in I’m going to laugh so hard...”</p><p> </p><p>     “No, that’s not it.” He says, taking her hand and walking to the middle of the space. She looks at him, not understanding what he’s doing but letting him guide her anyways. “Ever since we met I’ve been in a constant awe of you. For many, many reasons I can list later but one of those was how different you were from everything here, from everything I’m supposed to represent. Seeing you work with flowers is something that still amazes me to this day, because even if you didn’t have your godly side to help you I’m pretty sure you would be an amazing florist. Please do not tell me I’m exaggerating because I’m just stating a fact.” He adds when he sees she’s about to refute his comment. She instead smiles and lets him continue. “So, you may have noticed that unless we are at Elysium or the Asphodel Meadows there is no trace of vegetation… Nothing has ever grown in here but I’m sure you’re powerful enough to change that. More importantly, I’d like you to change that and we can start here, in this very room.” </p><p> </p><p>     “You want me to plant flowers here?” She asks, confused and he nods, eager, excited. </p><p> </p><p>     “We can start here, see how it goes. Then you can do whatever you want Julie.” He says before kissing her temple, lovingly. “This is your place too, it’s only fair you get to do whatever you want.”  </p><p> </p><p>     “Careful with what you’re saying, if I start doing things around here people might think Hades is letting someone boss him around.” She jokes making him laugh as he surrounds her with his arms in an embrace. He doesn’t answer, simply kissing her forehead and swallowing what he desperately wants to say:</p><p> </p><p>     If only she knew he’d gladly let her boss him around forever. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     Suddenly, Julie spends most of her free time down there.</p><p> </p><p>     He loves it even if he still thinks it’s very odd seeing someone so full of life in a place that is the exact opposite, but right after he encourages her to plant seeds and flowers the castle starts looking a little bit more alive and he loves it. He loves how she rallies everyone and teaches them what to do and how to take care of everything so that she doesn’t have to be on top of everything. It’s an amazing experience to watch Willie, Alex, Reggie and himself listen to her and follow her commands while Flynn acts like her second in charge and makes sure everyone has the materials at hand and is not fucking up. Even Cerberus helps by moving soil around and bringing Julie the materials she needs. Carlos doesn’t really help, but in his defense, Carlos is not a working cat (he actually acts more like a king than Luke does). </p><p> </p><p>     Watching her not only mesmerizes him but also reminds him how painfully in love he is and how much he wants to share his kingdom with her. Defying every possibility, she has proved that she belongs there, she didn’t even have to try hard to fit she simply did; with his friends, with his dog, with the castle that keeps on looking everyday more like a real home to him. A home where they could actually be happy together.  </p><p> </p><p>     He’s still scared though, maybe now more than before because now he knows everything he dreams can actually be possible. Before he thought a future with her was something that belonged in his wildest dreams but now the possibility of making her his queen and being together forever is something that he can almost grasp with his fingers. And it makes him fucking scared because the only reason why that might not happen is because she might not want that, because she might not love him. </p><p> </p><p>     And he can live with that (he knows that he might actually have to live with that) but it hurts to know that is also a very real possibility, especially because of who he is.  </p><p> </p><p>     “Aren't you afraid of me?” He asks her one night. He’s in bed watching her try to put her hair in two braids as she does every night before going to sleep; he thinks it would be nice to know how to do that, not necessarily because he’s completely selfless but because he likes the idea of touching her hair. </p><p> </p><p>     “Afraid?” Julie asks, turning away from the mirror to see him and unknowingly interrupting the spiral of thoughts he took refuge in once the question was out there. </p><p> </p><p>     “I’m the god of death Julie.” He starts explaining, shrugging and directing his eyes at his hands because right now he feels very vulnerable. She’s always made him feel comfortable but right now that doesn’t matter, this is a serious conversation and his heart is on the line so, instead of feeling like the god that may or may not scare her, he feels very small. “I’m not exactly what the mythology books think I am, but I do represent death and darkness; even if it’s something I don’t like, it’s still a part of who I am. So yes, I’m wondering if I scare you, I would understand if it was the case.”      </p><p> </p><p>     He fidgets in his spot, still with his eyes glued to his hands because he refuses to look anywhere else. That’s why he’s surprised when the bed dips and he feels Julie maneuvering her knees so that they rest on each side of his stretched legs, while she herself sits on his thighs; one of her hands rest on his bare chest and the other one on his cheek, gently coaxing him into raising his gaze to look at her. </p><p> </p><p>     “No, I’m not afraid of you Luke.” Her voice is soft and gentle which makes him want to cry because he’s still plagued with intrusive thoughts that remind him he doesn’t deserve her. “If anything I often feel conflicted, because you’re supposed to be something, to represent something and yet what I see is very different to that. And I’m not talking about what you showed me before I knew about this place; I mean what I see when I see you doing what you’re supposed to do around here. All I notice is someone with a great sense of justice and who tries to keep this place balanced. Death is part of life Luke, it’s inevitable and I think even if you don’t like it you do a good job…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Tell that to Flynn.” He says, a little choked up because of her words, so obviously he tries to joke around, because he can’t help himself.</p><p> </p><p>     “I have.” She responds, using her hand that was in his chest to caress his other cheek. “I agree that your role, at a first superficial glance, might seem terrifying, because the title ‘God of the dead’ and ‘King of the Underworld’ can be very scary. But really your job is not that scary. The one thing you do is keep this place in check and everything running smoothly. Souls deserve a place to rest and you are giving that to people who deserve it. Yes, you can’t get all the credit because that’s the responsibility of other gods but you’re the one who delegated and keeps an eye on everyone. You could be more active but… Sorry, I deviated.” She apologizes and Luke is so close to tears he cannot tell her she doesn’t have anything to apologize for. “What I want you to know is that I’m not afraid of you. You have never given me a reason to and I don’t think you ever will.” </p><p> </p><p>     He lets a few tears go by while she hugs him tightly. Right now he feels so touched by her words and actions because he has never been complimented for his role down there, he’s never wanted or needed those types of compliments until she voiced them out loud. And she’s right, he knows he absolutely could be way more active, it still makes him realize this woman, this phenomenal woman, sees him for who he is and is still able to measure the good, the bad and the ugly and decide the good outweighs everything else.   </p><p> </p><p>     He loves her, he should let her know but he’s still so scared and there are things he should check before he drops this on her and yet… There’s always going to be something stopping him from telling her how he feels and he doesn’t want that, he wants to be open and honest even if that means she runs away from him. She’s done so much for him she deserves to know the extent of his feelings. </p><p> </p><p>     That doesn’t mean he wants to tell her while he’s looking like a mess because there’s a part of him (the rational one that sounds eerily like Alex) that reminds him that she deserves nothing but the best, so he wipes the tears and takes her hands, kissing her knuckles, making her smile at him. That’s when he realizes she looks like an angel; the light coming behind her surrounds her like a halo, complimenting her curls and her glowing skin. With her eyes looking at him expectantly and a gorgeous smile he still questions what he ever did to be the recipient of it; he undoubtedly has a hard time not mistaking her for an actual angel. The fact that she’s resting on her knees making her taller than him which means he has to actually look up to face her seals it for him; she’s an angel. </p><p> </p><p>     But he’s getting distracted, he has some declarations of love to make.</p><p>     He’s not backing down, it’s now or never.</p><p> </p><p>     “I need you to know something and I need you to know I’m not telling you this because of what you just told me…  Which is something that I’m incredibly grateful for, by the way.” She bites her lip in what he assumes is expectation so he braves on. “I love you. I don’t know when it happened but it’s been a while since I realized I’m in love with you, and honestly? It might have happened the moment you introduced yourself because I’m pretty sure ever since that moment you are the sole owner of a heart I did not have before I met you. I’m sure this is not what you expected when we met and I know our relationship is… interesting, to put it nicely. But I’m in love with you, I do. Even if I don’t deserve to love you.”</p><p> </p><p>     At some point during his confession Julie started to silently cry and he noticed, of course, but he needed to finish, otherwise he’d never get that off his chest. Now that he’s done he’s able to kiss her cheeks, trying to dissipate her tears before involving her in a hug that doesn’t help hide his shivers, because he’s absolutely terrified about what those tears could mean. He completely ignores the fact that Julie is clinging to him could be a good sign. </p><p> </p><p>     “I love you too Luke.” She mumbles against the curve of his neck which means that he hears her and also feels her words against his skin; therefore he cannot second guess if he heard her right or if he hallucinated the whole thing. Julie Molina loves him. But, as per usual, he cannot help to still feel very undeserving of her affections.</p><p> </p><p>     “You love me?” If someone told him that he sounded just like a kid on Christmas morning he’d have to admit guilt. However, that makes her laugh and that’s music to his ears.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yes, big idiot! I love you, you don’t need to sound so surprised.” She chastises him, flicking him on the chest before resting her forehead on his, looking at him with a huge smile. He tries to talk, mostly because he’s pretty certain there’s always a part of him that will continue to struggle to believe she loves him, not because of her, but because the monster of self-doubt is too big and has already made himself at home in his mind to simply go away. Nonetheless, Julie is not one to back down from a bully, so she doesn’t let him even open his mouth. “Of course I love you. You think I would be here if I didn’t? Don’t answer that please, I already know what you will say. I might not remember when I realized and I definitely didn’t love you since the first moment I saw you but I do love you. You are not the person I expected, mostly because you are not even human but...” She sighs and runs her hands through her hair, before resuming her explanation. “I don’t even mind that because when I think of you I think of someone who constantly makes me feel happy and loved and who supports me wholeheartedly. Of course I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>     They are both teary eyed after the confessions but he knows he’s happy and he probably will continue to be happy for as long as she decides to remain in his arms, and even if she chooses to leave he will be left with happy memories at her side. But right now he doesn’t let himself think about ‘ifs’ and possible scenarios, because she’s there and he can hug her close and tell her endlessly that he loves her. Now that his feelings are out there he’s free to say it out loud and scream it from the rooftops, but that’s a task for tomorrow; right now he’s got some cuddling to do. </p><p> </p><p>     “So, let’s be real, you only love me for my castle, right?” One day he might learn to not make jokes at his own expense. But he has years ahead of him to do that, so today is not that day.</p><p> </p><p>     “Shut up and cuddle me.” She answers, burying her face in his chest while he covers them with the sheet.</p><p> </p><p>     “Whatever you say, boss.” He answers as his hands roam freely around her back. His other arm is currently being used as a pillow by Carlos, so he’s unable to move but he doesn’t care, tonight he gets to watch her sleep all while thinking she loves him. </p><p> </p><p>     Those are the best three words of the English language as of now, he doesn’t give a shit about the rest. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>My <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> in case you wanna chat! </p><p>The fic's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> playlist</a> if you want to listen!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Please know that I'm yours to keep, my beautiful girl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Wednesday y'all! I hope you have the loveliest day &lt;3 </p><p>Enjoy the chapter, there's only two more left before we move on to Julie's POV! </p><p>Chapter title from City and Colour's: "My girl".</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Julie stirs in her sleep, burying her face in the curve of his neck, distracting him from his reading and making him direct his attention to her hair, which is partially spread out on the pillow so he entertains himself playing with it; leaving the book aside.</p><p> </p><p>     “Please don’t tell me you watched me sleep for hours, you weirdo.” She says in a sleepy voice with her eyes still closed and her arms clutching him for dear life. He can’t help but to laugh at her, making such statements so early on; but that’s Julie, she might not be fully awake but that won’t stop her from messing with him. </p><p> </p><p>     “That was the plan, but after a couple of hours Carlos left my right arm free and I was able to grab a book.” He points to his nightstand when she opens one eye. A smile blooms in her face when she recognizes ‘Bluestown Mockingbird Mambo’ by Sandra María Esteves, a book Ray lent him. “I just started it but so far so good.” His hand caresses her face stopping at her lips who are still forming a smile. He approaches her lips to kiss her good morning but she extricates herself from the bed and gives her a wink, clearly mocking his pout. </p><p> </p><p>     “I’m just going to brush my teeth okay? Then, when I look presentable and awake you can kiss me all you want.” She says, making him roll his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>     “You don’t need to ‘make yourself look presentable’. I love you and that means I also love how you look when you wake up.” He groans, dropping his head on the pillow clearly being too dramatic but she doesn’t seem to mind because she messes his hair and giggles all the way to the bathroom. </p><p> </p><p>     He stays face down, grumbling to himself mostly so that Julie pities him when she steps out of the bathroom or something like that. He’s so committed to his role of a pouty boyfriend he doesn’t raise his head when the door opens.</p><p> </p><p>     “Ah, I see this is how it’s going to go.” He hears Julie saying, but refuses to look at her. He assumes she comes closer because next thing he knows he can feel her nails running through his back which makes him shiver but he won’t budge. She sighs at his stubbornness. “Please look at me.” She whispers in a very seductive way that definitely does the trick.</p><p> </p><p>     When he raises his head he’s greeted with a vision of Julie in purple underwear that makes his throat feel dry and definitely erases his pout from his face, replacing it with a goofy smile. He cannot even try to smirk or try something like that because she looks absolutely gorgeous and sexy, yes but also incredibly gorgeous. </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t believe she hasn’t killed him yet, but this might do the trick.</p><p> </p><p>     He opens his mouth to speak but, unsurprisingly, nothing comes out; what is he supposed to say when the love of his existence is in front of him in her underwear looking more godly than he’ll ever look? She should have more mercy on him. But she doesn’t, instead she smiles at him, half seductive half amused by his reaction. She can laugh at him for all he cares, he’s too busy looking at her and realizing that maybe this is it, maybe this is the moment he gets to explore her body without barriers, without guilt. </p><p> </p><p>     “I like that, in a way, you are still the same guy who lost his ability to speak when I was around.” She says, sitting at the edge of the bed which is far too close for his linking so he grabs her by the waist and sits her in his lap, still without saying a word because he’s too busy looking at her. It’s not news that she’s beautiful, that’s always been common knowledge but now she’s giving him permission to look at her like this, now that she knows the truth they get to be like this, without barriers. “Saw something you like?”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     “The first time you asked me that I was so lost on you Julie you have no idea. I was looking at this mole you have in your shoulder and I imagined myself an explorer looking for marks on your skin and I wanted to take away your necklaces so that I could kiss your neck freely…” Maybe he should feel ridiculous voicing his thoughts out loud but she makes him feel like there’s nothing to be afraid of. She deserves the whole truth so he’s giving it to her. “You are the most beautiful woman Julie.” His eyes are on hers as he speaks but his hands are roaming free, touching every inch of skin that’s free for him to come into contact with, making her shiver. That’s what finally makes him smirk, proof of the effect he has in her.</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t get to voice anything else out loud because she kisses him and he melts into her lips; this is no ordinary kiss, this is something else entirely, this is a kiss where they try to communicate everything that words can’t. He desperately needs to let her know how much he loves her, how much this moment means to him and he’s probably going to spend the whole day using his body to get that message across.</p><p> </p><p>     She starts kissing her way to his ear where she moans briefly, before whispering with a husky voice that makes him feel hungry and desperate to lose himself exploring her body: “Feel free to explore and do whatever you want.” </p><p> </p><p>     And so he does.</p><p> </p><p>     He confirms she has the smoothest, warmest and most amazing skin. He discovers her heck is completely addictive he could spend ages kissing it. He learns she doesn’t have other moles, except for one at the end of her belly that he pecks gently and makes her tickle. He also realizes that when she moans his name it feels like a prayer and he wouldn’t mind being prayed at. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>  </p><p>     Next time he and the boys have band practice he takes advantage of the fact that Julie is not there to finally voice a couple of things that have been roaming around for a while in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>     “I want Julie to join the band.” He announces when they are having a break; as he expected both of his friends and Willie voice their happiness at the statement with Alex even saying ‘freaking finally’. He’s right, Julie has been joining in and acting as a part of the band for so long this is just to make it official but his announcement is just a ruse to hit them with another news they might not feel so happy about. “I also want to marry Julie.” </p><p> </p><p>     And just like that he renders both of his friends speechless, only Willie continues to be his happy self and reaches to hug Luke and congratulate him. “I’m so excited for you, Julie is amazing!” The long haired boy says, before turning to the other two, waiting for something.</p><p> </p><p>     Luke is also waiting for something, not necessarily a hug but something resembling a…</p><p> </p><p>     “What the fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>     There it is. His friends never fail to disappoint him. </p><p> </p><p>     “Did we hear you correctly or did you just really say you want to marry Julie?” Asks Alex, while Reggie is still gaping silently. </p><p> </p><p>     “You seem very surprised for someone who knows how I feel about her. Did you really expect me not to want to marry her?” He’s not even upset, he knows the magnitude of his statements and the impact it could not only have on Julie's life but also in the way things are in the Underworld. </p><p> </p><p>     “Luke, of course we know you love her but that is very different to what you are saying. Let me remind you she’s not immortal and you definitely are. How is your marriage going to work?” Alex is rubbing his temples as if it was his responsibility to come up for solutions to Luke’s love life and because that’s decidedly not his task, Luke reaches out to his friend and rubs his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>     “I know. What you’re saying is something I already know and need to figure out and once I do that I need to talk to Julie and once that happens she needs to answer and that answer could be no.” That makes Reggie chuckle in disbelief but Luke continues. “Everything you said is correct but I have never been happier and that’s because of her… I mean, I love you guys but no offense.” He jokes, making the three boys shake their heads.</p><p> </p><p>     “We know Luke. It’s just weird hearing you say that you want to get married. As far as we know you still behave like a toddler.” Explains Reggie to which Alex eagerly agrees.</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah you’re like one of those child rulers, you just need a diaper.” And that's what makes Luke lick his finger to give him a wet willie. The blonde makes a horrified face at the gesture. “Point proven.” </p><p> </p><p>     He’s about to argue but Willie, ever the referee, intervenes. “We are getting a little bit out of topic here.” All of them nod their heads but neither says anything; in his case he's said all there is to say, he just wants to hear what his friends have to say about his idea.</p><p> </p><p>     “It would be nice to have a queen down here, maybe that way Luke would be more efficient.” Comments Reggie making Alex and Willie laugh, probably in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>     “I don’t want to marry her because I want her to work here.” He says, a little annoyed. </p><p> </p><p>     Reggie ignores him and continues; “We know, you are marrying her because you love her and she makes your heart beat like thunder. We know that and we support that even if it's the craziest thing you’ve ever done…”</p><p> </p><p>     “And you've done plenty of crazy shit.” Quips Alex, making everyone laugh.</p><p> </p><p>     Reggie resumes, somehow managing to switch places with Alex and becoming the voice of reason in this situation. “We support you. We will help you figure out if it’s even possible and we’ll be here no matter what. What I was trying to say is that she’s going to be Queen Julie, Queen of the Underworld and that has a nice ring to it. Maybe you should lead with that when you eventually pop the question.”</p><p> </p><p>     “It does sound nice, isn’t it?” He asks, unable to hide the giddiness in his voice. He likes the idea of Julie having a kingdom, seems only fitting. “So you’ll support me?”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, we just needed to get over the initial shock… And clarify you know this isn’t as easy as dropping on one knee.” Says Alex before Luke grabs everyone for a group hug, feeling incredibly happy and grateful to have his friends by his side. </p><p> </p><p>     One they break from the embrace, he explains a little more. “I’m not going to propose tomorrow, but It’s something I definitely want to do and because I need to figure out the logistics I wanted you guys to know, mostly because you’re going to be my best men.” Everyone smiles at that, because even if it's a no brainer, it’s nice to remember the bond they share is unbreakable. “But also because if it’s not possible or she rejects the proposal, this time I will unquestionably become Elle Woods and you need to be there for me.”</p><p> </p><p>     “If it’s not possible, we’ll find a way to make it possible.” Willie reassures him with his gentle, sweet voice. </p><p> </p><p>     “But you do know what you won’t need to do, right? There are some gods who might have the information you’re looking for.” Comments Alex with caution and Luke nods a little begrudgingly, because he was fearing it would come to that.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     Four faces stare at him expectantly and all he wants to do is become an ostrich and hide his face on the ground. But he doesn't like to think of himself as a coward and he loves Julie beyond human or godly comprehension so he’s doing this even if it's hands down the most terrifying experience he's ever had. </p><p> </p><p>     And he’s had plenty of those but facing both of his parents and Rose at the same time feels like on another level of terrifying; at least he also decided to have the meeting at Ray’s bakery which means Ray is invited to this pity party and there’s a familiar face that actually likes him in the audience (Although he has to ask himself if he’s going to like him after the drops the news on them and all the polls point to a negative answer).</p><p> </p><p>     He swallows and decides he has to do this anyways so it’s time to get started.</p><p> </p><p>     “Thank you all for coming.” He says once everybody has been served and they are left alone. He hopes his plan of having this reunion in a public place actually works. “The reason why I called you all is to let you know that I would like to marry Julie.” Once it’s out in the open everyone's faces automatically change; his parents don’t look surprised, almost as if they were expecting what they just heard, Rose definitely looks like someone just dropped a hot plate of soup on her lap whereas Ray is the only one that actually looks surprised by his words. “I’m not… Look, I’m not going to propose tomorrow, it’s not in my immediate plans but I love Julie and this is something I’d like to do and I wanted you to know that before I even attempt to do something. I am also letting you know because, before I even think about doing it I need to know if it’s actually possible and I would like your help for that.” </p><p> </p><p>     And then there’s silence. </p><p> </p><p>     His cards are all on the table for everyone to see but no one immediately reacts to his words; he gets it this is, to put it mildly, a fucking lot. But part of him is proud of what he just did, he’s being honest and frank about his feelings and plans but also he’s being respectful, or at least he thinks so. Maybe he should’ve practice with Alex first.</p><p> </p><p>     “Are you being serious right now?” Rose asks harshly and Luke tries not to wince in response. “Is he being serious?” She then asks his parents, who seem to be taking on the news better than he expected.</p><p> </p><p>     “He is being serious right now.” Answers his mother, looking at him briefly before turning to the goddess. “You can’t be this surprised right now. If anything this is the natural turn of events.” Now he’s the one who must look completely and utterly surprised because he never, not even in a million centuries, expected his mother to say that. It’s not only the words, it’s also the way they are delivered; she’s calm but also firm, almost as if she’s defending him. </p><p> </p><p>     “He is letting us know beforehand.” Adds his father and Luke has to stop himself from smiling too much, in fear that maybe he’ll jinx it or piss off Rose more than she already is. However, he does send a small thankful smile his parents' way, which they reciprocate. “We support you on this decision son, whatever you want from us… We’ll help.”</p><p> </p><p>     It’s the best they have gotten along in ages and he’s glad they are supporting him when he needs it the most. He tries not to cry because that would completely derail the conversation, but he’s never going to forget this; even if Julie says no his parents had his back and promised to help him. Out of all of the outcomes he expected this conversation to have, this was not it. But he’s happy nonetheless. </p><p> </p><p>     “Luke, are you sure of what you are telling us?” Ray’s voice is calm and collected which doesn’t necessarily let him know much of what he might actually be thinking, but it’s better than Rose’s anger. If her eyes could shoot daggers he’d be covered in them, definitely.</p><p> </p><p>     “I have never been more sure of anything in ages.” He says, firm in his decision. “But like I said, I’m not planning on doing it tomorrow, I’m not rushing into anything. And also, we need to keep in mind that I can ask her tomorrow or in two years and her answer can still be no. I can do whatever and she can reject me anyways; this is her decision.” He hates having to put that out there, as if his words eventually will come back to haunt him once he’s proposing but it is a possibility and he needs to keep that in mind.</p><p> </p><p>     “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” Says Ray in a supportive tone, which makes Luke smile in return. </p><p> </p><p>     That’s three out of four. To be honest he never expected this kind of outcome, but he’ll take it even if it breaks his heart the lack of support from Rose’s side. </p><p> </p><p>     “You too? Seriously?” Ray takes her hand in his and looks at her with a very serious frown in his face.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s not like we can stop them and like Mitch said, he is letting us know beforehand. They could’ve eloped for all we know.” To be honest, the idea did cross Luke’s mind but he’s not going to say that out loud when there’s people actually rooting for him. The only ones who've ever had his back are his boys and now his parents and Ray are supporting him; this must be a miracle. “He makes Julie happy. He makes her so happy I don’t think I can even put it in words. So we can help them be happy or not. The decision is ours entirely but I think our nena would appreciate the support.” </p><p> </p><p>     Rose sighs and nods, before turning to his parents. “Can you leave us alone for a second?” His mom looks at him, silently asking if he wants that so, when he nods, everyone leaves the table, leaving him and Rose to talk privately. For a second, they stay in silence and he takes advantage and takes a sip of his coffee, surprised he has lasted this long without the extra kick he clearly needs now that he’s at the mercy of Rose. “I just hope you know the magnitude of what you’re asking us to consider. She could have a regular life with a regular guy just like everyone else. If I faked my death was so that she could be human and enjoy that… You’re threatening that.” </p><p> </p><p>     “It’s still her choice, I’m not going to force her into something she doesn’t want. I’m asking her, she has the power to say no.” She shakes her head at his words and actually laughs in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>     “We both know Julie won’t say that. If you think that you are very dumb.” She asserts and now it’s Luke’s turn to laugh but instead of shaking his head like she did, he nods at her words; ‘I’ve been called worse’ he lets her know before she resumes talking. “I hope you know I’m not being antagonistic just for the sake of being mean or something like that. I get that you love my daughter and that she loves you, I do but I’m her mother and I wanted a different life for her, one that did not involve the Underworld.” Luke can accept that, he can understand her point of view because yes, the place it’s not where he would have pictured Julie but now that he’s seen her there and how much she simply seems to belong there he can’t completely agree with the sentiment Rose is voicing. “I know you are going to do this so all I’m asking you is to give me time to process it. Eventually I’ll get on board.” </p><p> </p><p>     Luke puts his hand on her wrist hoping she won’t mind the gesture. She gives him a tight lipped smile, which he takes as a good sign and so he answers to her.</p><p> </p><p>     “I know, that’s why I wanted to let you know in advance. I know I’m not what you expected as a son in law and I can understand this can be very hard for you but it would mean the world to me and Julie that you’d give us your support.” He smiles at her just to try and make his words come across in the best way possible. “Whenever I decide to actually go forward with the proposal you’ll be the first to know.” </p><p> </p><p>     “I appreciate that, really. I just need time.” She says before excusing herself from the table, explaining she’s going to look for Ray.</p><p> </p><p>     The second he’s left alone on the table it dawns on him that technically everything went well and all four parents agree to what is inevitably going to happen. He feels on cloud nine and his big smile reflects that. He actually has a shot at an existence with Julie. Nothing sounds better than that at this moment.</p><p> </p><p>     “Hey, son.” His mother’s hand rests on his shoulder and he looks up to see both of his parents smiling at him. Before he can think twice about his actions, he gets up and hugs them both, the first time he’s done that in a very, very long time. But he has to, his parents didn’t have to support him but they did in the moment he needed it the most. “We want you to know we meant what we said. You have our full support.” </p><p> </p><p>     His eyes feel moist and looking at his parents he realizes theirs are as well but clearly none of them are willing to make a scene in a bakery full of strangers. He’ll cry his heart out when he gets back to the castle. </p><p> </p><p>     “We hope now things can be different.” Says his dad, clapping him on the shoulder. “We can’t wait to meet Julie, hopefully before you propose.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Yeah, I can make that happen.” He promises, happy at the perspective of having a better relationship with them. “Thank you, for everything.”   </p><p> </p><p>     They hug again before his parents leave the place. Once they cross the door he realizes this is the first time his parents leave and he doesn’t have a bitter taste in his mouth or wants to scream into the void. When he left his realm he thought he was going to come out of the meeting with a little bit of hope, at least with a faint idea of a future where he could become Julie’s husband but now that the meeting is actually over he’s being rewarded with something else entirely; the idea of having his family back together. </p><p> </p><p>     Not even in his wildest thoughts something like that had occurred to him. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s finishing his coffee and fishing a couple of bills to tip the waiter when Ray comes out of the back of the bakery and sits with him at the table. “I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you letting us know of your plans with Julie. As a father I’ll be sad to see her go but I’m happy it’s with you. I think you are a great guy and even if I’m still wrapping my head around everything else… All I need to know is that you respect her and make her happy. That’s enough for me.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     “Thanks Ray, that means a lot.” A part of him still can’t believe he managed to make such a good impression on Julie’s dad that even after finding out his full identity the man still liked him and treated him with nothing but kindness. However, nothing would’ve prepared him for the words that come out of Ray’s mouth:</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s okay, you’re family now mijo.” </p><p> </p><p>     And just like that, he’s family. </p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t even come close to reaching the Underworld when he starts crying. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     When he said he wasn’t going to propose immediately he wasn’t completely lying but that doesn’t mean there’s another question he can ask in the meantime. And he’s dying to know her answer to that one.</p><p> </p><p>     They were rehearsing because Flynn had signed up the band for a showcase during the weekend so Julie was there giving them some pointers. It had been very difficult rehearsing while also thinking he needs to ask her asap, because there’s no way they’ll perform without her this weekend. Once they finish the song he tries, as discreetly as he can be, to get the boys out of the room. Thankfully, Alex catches on and grabs Reggie by the wrist, excusing themselves and saying they are going to look for Willie and make some popcorn for Julie. </p><p> </p><p>     She doesn’t even question their behavior because it’s very much in brand for the way they behave regularly. She simply remains on the couch, grabbing Luke’s songbook to probably check the rest of the songs they are trying to go through before picking one to perform; he’d usually join her and discuss the options with her but right now that’s not as important as his question. Wordlessly he takes the songbook from her, eliciting an annoyed ‘Hey!’ from her which he ignores in favor of helping her getting up from the couch. She still looks annoyed at his actions so he gives her a quick kiss before he starts talking.</p><p> </p><p>     “So, Julie Molina, love of my existence, human wrecking ball, girl with the voice of an angel, unofficial boss of the castle, sole owner of my heart and queen of every single one of every written word in my songbook.” He drops on one knee, mostly because he’s using this as practice before he pops the other question, so he’s got to do it right. She raises her eyebrows in surprise at the gesture but stays silent, so he continues. “There’s a question I need you to answer... ”  He almost feels bad for doing this, because her face is so hopeful he wishes he actually had a ring to give her now. “Would you do me the honor of becoming the main vocalist and leader of our band?” </p><p> </p><p>     He reaches into his pocket and opens his palm to show an engraved guitar pick that has their initials. And just as her eyes land on the guitar pick, the hopeful features on her face are replaced with confusion. Her expression of incredulity in response to his question is something he tries to memorize, especially when he realizes that even if she’s very shocked there’s fondness in it, as if she can’t believe she’s in love with an idiot who would do this. </p><p> </p><p>     To be fair, he also can’t believe it.</p><p> </p><p>     “I’m going to murder you.” She says but there’s no malice in her voice and even if there was he knows he would deserve it. She grabs the guitar pick and smiles at it briefly, before shooting daggers at him.</p><p> </p><p>     “No can do, I’m kind of indestructible. You know that.” He answers nonchalantly which makes her laugh, dissipating all her confusion, apparently leaving only fondness and annoyance at him, but that’s just the usual.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s not going to stop me now.” She answers, mimicking the same nonchalant he's displaying and now he’s able to see what she’s doing because she still hasn’t answered his question. He loves her when she’s being sneaky, even if it comes at the cost of his own sanity.   </p><p> </p><p>     “Stop deflecting, I’m still waiting for an answer. My knees hurt, you know?” He tries to coax her into answering but it’s clearly the wrong move, because she puts the pick back into the palm of his hand and crosses her arms. </p><p> </p><p>     “I’m still on the fence about murdering you.” Is her reply and now he’s starting to actually feel nervous. Did he screw up? Probably. Definitely. He should just start begging or something else and he’s about to but… “Oh stop it with that face and stop that train of thought right now.” She practically orders him, before grabbing his arms and hoisting him so that he’s standing again. “First of all, you are joining my band; I want that on the record. Second of all, I get to choose the name.”</p><p> </p><p>     “That’s with Reggie, you know…”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     “Lastly I want Flynn as our manager.” He nods, that’s only fair. However, he doesn’t voice that out loud, because Julie continues with her list of demands. “And if you ever pull this crap on me again I will kick your ass so hard is going to continue hurting until the year 2802. Are we clear?” She asks and he can’t contain the excitement he’s experiencing over the fact that he said yes and they are going to officially become a band. He hugs her and lifts her up, spinning around with her in his arms. She shrieks and laughs with him until she’s standing again, directing him a very pointed look. “I need to hear you say it Luke.”<br/>
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</p><p>     “We are crystal clear, boss.” He tells her, before ducking to kiss her, as if he needed that to seal the deal. She corresponds, eager and just as excited as he is. </p><p> </p><p>     But Julie doesn’t know that even if she said yes to a simple question about joining an immortal band, she also made it very clear what her answer is going to be to another question and that’s what got his heart beating like crazy. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>My <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> in case you wanna chat! </p><p>The fic's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> playlist</a> if you want to listen!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Lend me your hand and we'll conquer them all</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. </p><p>Chapter title is from Mumford and Sons' "Awake my soul."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Time spent with Julie is time well spent. </p><p> </p><p>     Suddenly there’s a purpose for him, he has other things to look forward to, aside from his friends and music which, granted, are still a big part of his existence but now with Julie everything is better. He tries not to voice those thoughts out loud because she accuses him of being dramatic and exaggerated but the truth is she forever changes his existence. Not only does she make him happy and elated but also challenges him and pushes him to be his best; and of course, not everything is a bed of roses but he doesn’t mind, one bad day with Julie is a thousand times better than a day without her. </p><p> </p><p>     She makes him feel alive, in a way only a god could feel alive and he’s thankful for that; thankful for her.</p><p> </p><p>     And so, time goes by and just like when he first went to the human world, every day is an adventure and he’s high on it because he gets to do a lot of things with Julie by his side, which basically means he gets to do them for the first time (“No, the first time doesn’t count Julie, you weren’t there!” Is something he often finds himself saying). Like, for example, celebrating her birthday (“Oh babe, you’re 24. You finally catched up!” “Yeah, I think I still need a couple of centuries to catch up Mr. Immortal”), or their first Christmas together (“Reggie always dresses up like Santa, please fake surprise.” “Alex she knows, you’ve been telling her since November!”) or simply spending the days doing nothing and everything at the same time. </p><p> </p><p>     During every single day his conviction of wanting to marry her just grew exponentially, that’s why when Rose called him to meet at Olympus to give him her official blessing, he felt elated. Now he just needed a ring and then he’d be able to actually ask her. </p><p> </p><p>     Contrary to what his friends thought, he wasn’t nervous about proposing because after more than a year of being together most of his intrusive thoughts about being undeserving of her had actually dissipated. He can’t claim to have done that all by himself, because as with most good things in his life, it was actually Julie who basically parted the cloudy sky with her sunshine smile and made him realize he might actually be worthy of her. She was his personal sunshine, the only source of light in the kingdom; she made him smile every day, no more cloudy skies, she kept them at bay. </p><p> </p><p>     The other thing that contributed to the lack of nerves? The fact that they had spoken about the subject. When they were dating, before the truth was revealed to her she had expressed her thoughts on the matter (“It’s not like a priority or something I’m obsessed with but I would like to have a partnership just like mom and dad had. The idea of having a partner is the priority, the marriage part is a nice extra touch.”) and then, after she knew about his whole identity they also talked about the subject, not that openly because there was a lot Julie didn’t know about how things worked with mythological deities but she made it clear she was happy by his side (“I’m not going anywhere Luke and something tells me you don’t want to get rid of me.” “Something tells me you’re absolutely right.”). </p><p> </p><p>     He felt confident, not overly so; so it wasn’t like he was bouncing but he felt at ease and was certain enough that their relationship was ready for the next step. </p><p> </p><p>     That’s why on a random Friday night at her flower shop, while helping her with some arrangements for next morning felt like the perfect moment to ask her. He didn’t need to make a big fuzz or surprise with a grandiose gesture, he wanted it to be personal and intimate so what better place to do it than her shop, surrounded by the prettiest arrangements and with only Carlos as a witness. </p><p> </p><p>     “Be careful with the bow, they all have to look the same.” She says, grabbing his hands to correct him, for a second time, about how to properly tie the arrangements. He doesn’t have the heart to tell her he’s doing it on purpose so that she can boss him around and manhandle him. “There, what do you think?”</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s beautiful, but you already knew I was going to say that.” He answers and she smiles knowingly at him before kissing his cheek and moving to another bouquet. “Remind me again what are these for?” Again, he knows the answer but this is his way of easing into a conversation that will eventually lead to the question he wants to ask.</p><p> </p><p>     “A wedding, those are the bouquets for the bridal shower. Then we have to move on to the table arrangements.” She says, eyes on her flowers, very focused on the task. He knows that is a very small ceremony and that’s why it’s just the two of them, otherwise they would need extra hands. Being just the two of them is perfect for proposal reasons but also because Luke just likes to watch her working. “C’mon lover boy, don’t drool on me. Focus because I want those bows perfectly tied or else…”</p><p> </p><p>     The ‘Are you going to punish me?’ dies in his throat, this is not the time to get kinky. He’s got some proposing to do. </p><p> </p><p>     “Have you ever thought about what flowers you would want if you ever get married?” He asks, avoiding her eyes and trying to pretend he’s deadly focused on tying the bouquets. However, he can feel her eyes on him and even if he can’t see her he can totally picture Julie’s face with a scrunched up nose, just like every time she suspects he’s doing something. </p><p>  </p><p>     After a while, when she’s done studying him and (hopefully) finding no cracks on his mask, she returns to picking the correct flowers and answers his question. “I always felt like dahlias would be the obvious choice and I guess they still are, but as a florist I know the endless possibilities. It’s hard to choose…” She stops and hands him the next bouquet for him to tie. “I guess it could be worse, I could be a baker like dad and be forever haunted at the endless possibilities of cake making or I could be a wedding dress designer.” She jokes, watching him once again, clearly trying to figure out his angle. “Why the question?”</p><p> </p><p>     Ah, so she’s shooting at him point blank. He shrugs, hoping he can pull off this attitude for a little longer. “I was wondering, because of your business you are always in contact with weddings and… I don’t know. Thought that you would have something more clear in mind.”  </p><p> </p><p>     “I guess you’re right but no, remember that a wedding is not really the priority in my case.” She says, stepping closer to check on all the bouquets, now completely ready. She raises her hand and he doesn’t high five it, but rather grabs it and kisses it, making her smile. “Great work, those bows are perfect.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     “Thanks boss, I did my best.” He answers before bringing the vases to start with the centerpieces. They start working so seamlessly it makes him warm to think how well they work together and what a good team they are. So, for a couple of minutes he focuses on the work and gets distracted by his own thoughts that he momentarily forgets there’s a conversation he needs to revive in order for him to actually propose. However, she beats him to it. </p><p> </p><p>     “How are weddings at Olympus?”</p><p><br/>
<br/>
     He was definitely not expecting that and he feels his answer is very disappointing. “Uh, I don’t know. Never been to one.” She looks up at him and raises an eyebrow that is meant to ask ‘WHAT?’ without actually raising her voice, not to disturb the flowers. “I don’t know why you seem so surprised, you know I barely go up there aside for the mandatory meetings every year. Also, remember I am the god of death, not necessarily the best guest to invite to such an occasion.” </p><p> </p><p>     “I know, I know… I guess I assumed they invited you out of courtesy.” She says, eyeing the first centerpiece, now completed. He seizes the moment and takes a picture of Julie and the vase, snapping her out of her thoughts. She eyes at him for a minute and he guesses she’s about to comment on his paparazzi moments, but she doesn’t. “Have you ever thought about getting married?” </p><p> </p><p>     To say he’s absolutely flabbergasted about that question is to put it mildly, that’s why he opens his mouth and babbles something indiscernible he ends up amusing Julie to no end. So much so she decides to end his misery. </p><p> </p><p>     “C’mon, don’t act so surprised. It’s a valid question, especially because now that I think about it we’ve never talked about that, I mean, at least on your part. You already know my opinions on marriage.” She explains, starting with the next centerpiece which means Luke has a couple of minutes to compose himself and try to behave normally… Or as normal as he can.</p><p> </p><p>     “No. I mean, technically I could’ve gotten married to a goddess but I should be honest with you and let you know I’m not that much of a catch.” He quips, managing to get a smile out of her.</p><p> </p><p>     “Oh, thanks for letting me know. This is brand new information… Although I should’ve seen it coming.” She follows along and, before he can continue, raises herself to kiss him at the corner of his lip. </p><p> </p><p>     “Consider yourself warned, okay? If you decide to keep me that’s on you.” He whispers, grabbing her by the hips to keep her close, because this is it; this is the moment he lets her know. He keeps his attention on her face, on the way she’s looking at him with such affection he can’t believe it’s taken him so long to do this. “No, in all seriousness I never thought about marriage, certainly not to a goddess or anyone else before I met you. That is the truth.” </p><p> </p><p>     He can see the way her factions change, clocking the different atmosphere that envelops them now. Now it’s not the time to joke around, this is the moment he opens up his heart to her and possibly changes her life and his existence forever. His hands move to grab hers, mostly because he knows he’ll need the contact to keep him steady.</p><p> </p><p>     “Julie, I’m the god of death, I'm not made for love; all I knew for a while was rot and decay. I became an expert in the dark side of the human world. That’s why meeting Alex, Reggie and then Willie was so surprising and fulfilling, I had the unconditional love of three others and I considered myself lucky. It was not a marriage, but it was an unconditional partnership and for me that was enough; to be honest it was more than enough.” This is not a prepared speech because he knew that when the time came, he’d be able to find the right words to let her know everything; he’s happy so far. “I never really wanted someone just for the sake of it, that’s why the guys were everything to me, it wasn’t forced, it was a friendship developed over time. And it was all I needed, or at least it was until I fell in love with you. Meeting you changed everything, not because you were human, but because you were actually interested in me and when you met the other side of me and you were still interested but also refused to simply fall at my feet and instead challenged me, motivated me, inspired me and helped me be the best version I could be. But above all you loved me, you love me.” Her eyes are full of tears and he knows his own are too, but he’ll have time to cry later, there’s no distracting him now that he’s actually pouring his heart out to her. “I love you Julie and that made me realize that my previous assumptions were wrong, because I was made for love but not for everyone just for you. You who could turn my kingdom into something better. You who could turn my existence into something worthy. I'm the god of death Julie but thanks to you now I'm something more…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Luke…” Her voice is small and it breaks, because she’s not holding back the tears anymore. He kisses her forehead before getting down on one knee. Julie smiles through the tears that won’t stop coming.</p><p> </p><p>     “I know that the question I’m about to ask you is not as simple as it seems but I would like to know Julie if you’d be willing to make me the happiest and marry me.” He lets go of one of her hands and searches in his pocket for the ring, presenting it to her, who’s still silent but her big smile is expressing more than words ever would. </p><p> </p><p>     “Yes, of course I’ll marry you Luke.” She says, voice firm and assertive, despite all the tears. He doesn’t waste a second and slides the ring on her finger, before standing up and kissing her senseless. By no means it’s anything other than a messy kiss, with too many tears and excitement running through their bodies, but it’s definitely a kiss for the books, one he’ll remember forever. One he knows she’ll also remember forever.</p><p> </p><p>     That thought immediately makes him feel more excited than he should, especially given that Julie still has centerpieces to arrange… All that goes out the door when he feels her nibbling on his lower lip, giving him a look that claims to be innocent yet is anything but. This is definitely not what he had in mind and there’s a lot they need to talk about, but right now all the thoughts he’s having are about how much he wants to have sex with his fiancé because she might not be a goddess yet but he certainly wants to do unholy things to her.</p><p> </p><p>     He doesn’t want to lie and say that the sex is different now because there’s a ring on her finger, but he definitely thinks that everything feels magnified, as if both their feelings were put under a magnifying glass. Now, not only is he able to love her freely but he’s able to love her knowing their future together is somewhat clearer and that is everything to him now: sharing an existence with Julie is more than he could’ve dreamed, yet it is his reality. </p><p> </p><p>     Julie is part of his reality. There’s never been a sweeter thought than that one. </p><p> </p><p>     When they finish, she collapses on top of him. The floor is cold and uncomfortable so he accommodates her before using his denim duster coat to cover her body before she starts shivering. They don’t need to say anything so silence reigns supreme while they simply bask in touching each other. Her hands roam free and her fingers make different figures in his bicep; he doesn’t know if it’s the cold or that’s what’s giving him goosebumps but he doesn’t mind, he’s too busy admiring her. </p><p> </p><p>     In many ways she's still the same girl he met at Eats &amp; Beats; the same girl who took all his words away making him more of the mess he still is. She’s still capable of leaving him wordless but in many more ways than before, like right now. Right now she's naked and sweaty but looking incredibly beautiful with the moonlight illuminating her gorgeous brown skin. The way her body feels on top of his should be taking his breath away, should he have any, but instead he’s busy burning this moment to his memory. </p><p> </p><p>     “There are the heart eyes again.” She says, looking up at him and taking his attention away from his thoughts. He locks eyes with her and uses his hand to put a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiles at that and kisses his cheek, dangerously close to his mouth. “Tell me what you were so busy thinking.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Just how much I love you. How much you still are that same girl capable of rendering me into a speechless mess.” He answers honestly, making her giggle. He needs to find a way to bottle up that giggle, asap. “I was thinking I want to remember this and now that I'm saying it out loud it seems funny because we'll have an eternity to make new memories together.”</p><p> </p><p>     “What took you so long to start our eternity?” She asks, just as her fingers roam free and caress his face gently, making him smile softly at her.</p><p> </p><p>     “It took me a long time because… Well, there are various reasons but one of them is that I wanted to know if it was possible.” He explains, looking at her ring and smiling in a way that if he were human, his cheeks would definitely be hurting right now. </p><p> </p><p>     “Because I’m not a goddess?” She asks and he nods, proceeding to explain the situation.</p><p> </p><p>     “That’s what I meant when I said it’s not a simple question. Sometime ago I met with our parents to let them know about what I wanted to do, not only because I wanted them to know but also because I needed to know if it was possible.” He explains, taking her hand and raising it so that he can kiss her ring finger before resuming his explanation. “We can have a regular wedding… Well, we can have whatever type of wedding you want to be honest, but if you choose to you can…”</p><p> </p><p>     “Become a goddess.” She finishes the sentence, making him nod in agreement. He doesn’t know how to read her expression so he tries to explain, because he can understand that this is a lot.</p><p> </p><p>     “It’s not something you have to do, but if you choose to, the option is there. I will respect whatever decision you make.” That makes her laugh a little but she doesn’t reply immediately, she instead threads her fingers through his hair making him smile pleasantly because of her touch. </p><p> </p><p>     “Can you explain to me what it would mean if I decide to do it?” She’s looking at him right in the eyes and he thinks that, just like when they met, she holds an incredible power over him because the way she looks at him makes him want to cater every whim and desire, he wants to do everything for her. </p><p> </p><p>     He makes fun of Cerberus for becoming a puppy when Julie is around but he knows that he might as well be her other lapdog. He doesn’t really mind, though.</p><p> </p><p>     “Well, it would mean that you would become Persephone the goddess of spring, flowers, life and vegetation. Which you already are but, you know, it would be your official title. Also, as my consort, you would be the official Queen of the Underworld and that would also make you the goddess of death. You can come to Olympus with me when I have my meetings because you’ll have a seat at the table and you can help me rule the Underworld; aside from that you can keep living like you want to, it’s your choice. You don’t even have to fully move in with me if you don’t want to.” He’s trying so hard to emphasize that it’s her choice that he feels like he’s starting to become annoying, but he really doesn’t want her to feel pressured. “Overall what it means is that you will be immortal which is something that’s easier said than done, that’s why I’m telling you it’s your choice.” He adds that last part just for good measure but Julie just rolls her eyes at him.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     “I get it that it’s my choice Luke, I did agree to marry you, by the way, so don’t feel like you are forcing me or anything.” She says to him and while it might seem like a playful exchange he knows it isn’t so he nods solemnly. “Thank you for caring so much about me not feeling pressured but Luke…” She looks at him dead serious, the most he’s seen her in a while. “I know. I’ve known for a long time that this is my future; our future. I was just waiting for you to catch up.” Her smile returns and it’s so contagious he can’t help himself and smiles as well. Those words are everything he wanted to hear and more, not only because she means them, but because now it’s not him or her, it’s them. </p><p> </p><p>     Nothing has ever sounded more perfect to him.</p><p> </p><p>     He leans in to kiss her and when she corresponds, eager, excited and happy he realizes once again, that everything is magnified now. His feelings for her are the same, yet have grown exponentially.</p><p> </p><p>     “Wait!” When they break the kiss, many of the things she just said flash through his mind making him realize he needs answers right now. “What do you mean you’ve known for a long time that this is your future?” His face must be incredible right now because Julie simply starts to kiss him all over the place, muttering under her breath how cute he is when he’s confused. </p><p> </p><p>     “It means what it means Luke.” She explains, gently caressing the frown that he’s sporting right now. “Like I said, it’s not like I saw you that day at Eats &amp; Beats and thought to myself ‘Yes, this is the guy I’m going to spend the rest of my life’ because that is not how it happened. What happened was that I met a great guy who is obsessed with music, makes me laugh and it’s not hard to look at; so when I arrived here after we met I thought to myself that we could build something, something that was lasting. That thought only grew after each date and each outing.” He loves hearing talk about their relationship, he loves it when she tells him stuff like this because he thinks it’s incredible to know how both of them, in their own way, knew this was game changing. “And we did build something Luke, something quite strong because after the blow out things remained. It wasn’t a house of cards, we had a strong foundation, strong enough to sustain your ‘Hey, I’m the god of death and I’m immortal!’ bullshit.” </p><p> </p><p>     He can’t help but to laugh at her impression of him, not only because it’s very accurate but also because every time she says it, it sounds as outlandish as it must have sounded to her when he said that the first time. She laughs with him, before continuing. “After you dropped that nonsense on me I knew I could leave and never look back; I also knew you’d respect my decision even if it hurt you. But I never needed to make such a decision I wanted to be with you, mythological crap and everything included. I love you more than I care about the nonsense because after a while I realized the nonsense was our future and I loved that.”</p><p> </p><p>     The words ‘our future’ echo in his mind, bouncing around and making him realize that not only does she know what's ahead of them and is certain of it, but also that they almost have had roughly the same amount of time thinking about it. They are in sync even without verbalizing it and he loves that, he loves that they are partners and have already been partners for a long time, a ring on her finger is just to make the whole thing official.  </p><p> </p><p>     “Why did you make me say all those things then? Do you just enjoy watching me embarrass myself and trip like an idiot in front of you?” He jokes, making her laugh so hard her body shakes and echoes throughout the empty store. He’ll happily turn himself into a fool every single day for eternity if it means he gets to hear that laugh in return. </p><p> </p><p>     “Honestly I just wanted to corroborate what I already knew. But I’m not going to lie, part of me just wanted to hear you say I’m going to be Queen of the Underworld. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” She asks, a mischievous grin in her face. Oh, eternity with her is going to be the absolute best. </p><p> </p><p>     “I have to agree, but I think I prefer the idea of calling you my wife.” He counters, making her blush. He then shakes his head and corrects himself. “Nah, forget that. I prefer the idea of you calling me your husband.”</p><p> </p><p>     “Mmm… My husband.” She says with a sultry voice making him shiver in response. She doesn’t get to be so damn attractive, it’s so unfair the way he’s rendered powerless because of her. “My king.” She continues, before kissing his neck and making him moan.</p><p> </p><p>     A part of him would like to remind them that there's still work to do but that part gets shushed very quickly by Julie, when her lips start kissing him senseless. He might be king, but she’s definitely the boss of him and so she spends the rest of the night riding him and using her body to remind him she’s always going to be on top. </p><p> </p><p>     When the first rays of sunshine illuminate the store she’s asleep in his chest so he takes her upstairs and accommodates her in the bed despite her efforts of clinging to him. He loves her, but he also knows they were somewhat irresponsible and need to finish those centerpieces so he gently reminds her of her job. “Jules, I’m just going to finish the work and I’ll join you once I’m done.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I just want to sleep with you, why are you ruining my plans?” She mumbles and tries to do some puppy eyes but she’s tired and sleepy so it doesn’t come out the way she wants to, making him laugh under his breath. She’s incredibly cute, so much so that it’s very tempting the idea of joining her in bed but he knows he’s got work to do. </p><p> </p><p>     “Hey, it’s okay.” He tries to reassure her, stroking her face gently. “Now you have a part of me with you all the time.” That makes her open her eyes and look at the ring on her finger which she promptly takes to her lips to give it a quick kiss, which elicits a smile on his part. “I love you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I love you too.” She mumbles, curling onto herself just as he walks to the door giving her a quick glance before rushing downstairs to dress himself before continuing with the centerpieces. They only managed to finish one before the proposal took over so there’s five more to make and he already knows how the deal goes, so he knows he can pull it off. </p><p> </p><p>     He’s barely finished the second centerpiece when Julie appears at his side, startling him completely.</p><p> </p><p>     “What are you doing here? Go back to bed Jules!” He chastises her, but she doesn’t budge and simply gives him a quick kiss he suspects is to distract him. “C’mon, you’re tired and I can do this while you rest.”</p><p> </p><p>     “I thought about letting you do this for a hot second, because my bed is very tempting right now, not going to lie. But you know what? I have slept alone in that bed for a really long time, I’m not interested in doing that right now. I’m interested in making memories with you.” She says, as if she’s stating a simple and obvious fact. He can’t help but to grin, because he loves hearing how certain she is of their future together. </p><p> </p><p>     He reaches out to her and she meets him halfway in a sweet kiss to seal her words, because they are clearly not looking to get derailed from finishing the centerpieces. Once they break the kiss they stay close to each other, foreheads touching, simply basking in the moment. </p><p> </p><p>     “I can’t wait for the moment when we don’t have to break our kisses for you to take a breath.” He says, making her break into a big smile that warms his heart. </p><p> </p><p>     A crazy heart that didn’t exist before her.</p><p>     A lovesick heart that beats every day because she’s there.</p><p>     A heart that screams ‘I love you’ every time he sees her.</p><p> </p><p>     He puts her hand in his chest for her to feel it, he’s about to make a grandiose speech about what he just thought, but she pats him and kisses his cheek before turning her attention to the flowers in front of them.</p><p> </p><p>     “We need to stop getting distracted so easily, I won’t fail this bride.” She says, as if she was a general which makes him laugh. She doesn’t know she cut him off before he even started with his grandiose declaration but he doesn’t mind, he loves it when she bosses him around. “Hand me a vase, c’mon.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>     He rolls his eyes and makes a big deal as he hands it to her, before speaking. “I know you said some cute little words about being with me but we both know the real reason why you came down is so that you can boss me around Molina.” </p><p> </p><p>     She smirks at his words, very pleased with his comment. “And don’t you forget it, I’m the boss of you now ‘till eternity”. She doesn’t wait for him to answer before getting to work on the arrangement for the wedding, giving him a couple of seconds just to simply watch her in her element. Whatever words he was going to say before die in his throat but that doesn’t upset him, because he can tell her at the wedding. </p><p> </p><p>     He has some vows to write to her and if he knows himself well enough he’s going to have a hard time not writing an entire novel as his vows. But then, maybe he’ll do that, after all…</p><p>     She has all eternity to listen to them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed the chapter. This story is very near and dear to my heart so comments and kudos would mean the world to me!</p><p>My <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> in case you wanna chat! </p><p>The fic's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> playlist</a> if you want to listen!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Where you invest your love, you invest your life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Wednesday everyone. I hope you're ready for the end because it's here.<br/>As usual, I hope you enjoy and if you do, please consider leaving a comment. </p><p>Chapter title comes from Mumford and Sons': "Awake my soul".</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Julie was right about her wedding, well at least about the dahlia part because there are tons of them.</p><p> </p><p>     The garage of Julie's childhood home has been decorated to gather the forty guests who will join them in such a special occasion. It's incredible how great everything looks but he knows he shouldn't be so impressed because there had been a large team behind everything today. To his surprise not only his friends and Flynn helped them plan the ceremony but Julie's parents as well as his own contributed to the planning efforts.</p><p> </p><p>     And together, with Julie and him as heads of the team, they had put together this amazing ceremony. He was very excited and happy even if the wedding had more gods in the guest list that he actually cared for; 'You must remember how important it is to play nice with everyone up there,' his parents had to remind him constantly during the planning process.</p><p> </p><p>     But it didn't matter, because in the end he was marrying Julie and everything else was second. For all he cared they could be marrying in a country style wedding (as Reggie had suggested) because at the end of the day they would be together forever. And that's what mattered the most.</p><p> </p><p>     He sits in one of the audience's chairs and takes a moment to himself. The guests should start arriving soon but he wanted a moment simply to let everything sink in.</p><p> </p><p>     He's marrying Julie, this is actually happening.</p><p> </p><p>     Even after months discussing color schemes and music he still thinks it's a good idea to pinch himself from time to time.</p><p> </p><p>     "Id' stop doing that if I were you." Says someone behind him and when he turns around finds Ray and Cerberus, the former smiling at him as the dog runs towards his lap. "This guy was going insane inside the house so I volunteered to take him out." Explains the man as he sits next to Luke who's very busy scratching the ears of the dog. Thanks to Flynn and her magic, Cerberus looks like a regular dog for the day, so that no humans freak out about watching a dog with three heads being the ringbearer. "But I also wanted to talk to you, Cerberus was just a great excuse."</p><p> </p><p>     "Talk to me? Ah, you're going to give me the dad talk." Luke jokes, making Ray laugh briefly before he shakes his head.</p><p> </p><p>     "No mijo, you never needed to be threatened, Julie is already capable of kicking your ass very easily." Luke knows that much is true, but he wonders if it's so obvious for everyone. Maybe he should feel ashamed or emasculated but no, he kind of likes the fact that Julie is able to easily split him like wood. "I always wanted to marry Rose, you know? I even proposed a couple of times but for obvious reasons she said no. Even if I longed for a wedding, what we had was beautiful and I always wanted something like that for Julie. I'm thankful for you, because you fought to be able to be by her side but also fought for this to happen. I can't believe I'm going to walk my little nena down the aisle." Ray's face literally lights up as he speaks, clearly emotional over the day. Luke can't help but to feel a little choked up about his words but he promised himself he wasn't going to cry before Julie walked towards him, so he swallows the tears and resorts to pinching himself once more. "I mean it, stop doing that. You have a sleeveless tux, if you leave a mark everyone is going to see."</p><p> </p><p>     He chuckles, looking at his deep blue suit everyone still questions as his fashion choice for his wedding suit. But he loves it and he knows Julie will love it too so he can't wait to see her reaction once they see each other. Just as much as he can't wait to see her in her wedding dress.</p><p> </p><p>     "Thanks for your words Ray, they mean a lot to me." He answers honestly, looking at the man who has been always very supportive of his relationship with Julie.</p><p> </p><p>     "Thank you for fighting so much to be able to have this day with my daughter." Ray smiles at him again before patting his shoulder and raising from his seat. "I mean it when I said it months ago, you're family mijo." Luke returns the smile as the man leaves him with Cerberus, who is rocking a bowtie that matches his own.</p><p> </p><p>     He's family.</p><p> </p><p>     He knows that, it's been a while since he cried his heart out at Ray's bakery when the man first said those same words. Ray has always made him feel welcomed so while his words are nothing new, they still have the same impact as they usually have. Luke's heart beats in excitement and a smile remains in his face as he thinks that, as of a few hours from now, it will be official.</p><p> </p><p>     "Hey man!" Reggie's voice snaps him out of his thoughts, making him turn around and making Cerberus run in excitement towards his friends. He smiles at the image of his three friends in suits that reflect their personalities but what really makes him excited is the fact that Willie is also there, once again thanks to the magic of Flynn who combined her powers with his own to grant him the opportunity to leave the Underworld for a total of 24 hours.</p><p> </p><p>     "They are going to take our pictures, we need you to come." Yells Alex, who is clearly trying not to stress too much about everything related to the nuptials. Luke tries very hard to swallow his laughter out of respect for his friend even though part of him does think it's quite funny Alex is more stressed than him and Julie. "Hurry, the photographer is finishing up with the bridal party."</p><p> </p><p>     "Stop stressing, I'm right here." He says when he reaches them, marching to the house with his friends at his side. "It's going to be fine Alex, please calm down. I want you to enjoy my wedding."</p><p> </p><p>     "I can't believe someone agreed to marry you." Mutters his friend, loud enough so that everyone can laugh. Luke does too, because he cannot find flaws in his comment. "I can't believe Julie is going to say 'I do' in a couple of hours and you're the supposed 'prize'."</p><p> </p><p>     Willie is clearly about to intervene when Luke drapes an arm around his shoulder, giving him a shit eating grin. "Is this jealousy I hear? Are you sad because you lost your shot with me?" He gets all on Alex's personal space just as his friend tries to get away and shoves him away.</p><p> </p><p>     "You wish you idiot, now leave me alone. Some of us care about how we look in the pictures." Says Alex in a snappy tone so Luke knows it's time to back off but before he completely does he kisses his friend in the cheek, earning an exasperated sigh from his friend. "Can you pretend to be normal for a second now? At least when they take the pictures?"</p><p> </p><p>     "I'll try my best for you." He answers, happily, before moving on and kissing Willie and Reggie's cheeks, just because he wants to show appreciation. Luckily, the move is better received by them who smile at him just as the photographer enters Ray's office, the designated area for the groom and his party. "Hey, I know I'm a handful but I'm thankful you're all here with me."</p><p> </p><p>     "We wouldn't be anywhere else." Answers Reggie, before picking Cerberus from the floor and making sure his bowtie is fine for the pictures.</p><p> </p><p>     "Yeah bro, if I'm going to leave that place is definitely to see you get married." Says Willie patting him in the back before going to take his place next to Alex, already getting in position for the photos.</p><p> </p><p>     They don't take that many, considering there's already a couple from when they were getting into their respective suits so this time they can goof around and simply have fun. He loves his boys so much he cannot put it into words, the fact that they are by his side on one of the most important moments of his existence is something that should not surprise him in the least considering they have been by each other's sides forever and have had each other's back since that fateful day when a band was formed but also when a friendship was born.</p><p> </p><p>     He can't believe he got so lucky.</p><p> </p><p>     "Can I take the next photo?" He asks the photographer, who looks as startled as his friends but he doesn't care; he wants a picture of his boys (and Cerberus). "C'mon boys pose like you mean it, because after tonight, everything changes." He lets them rearrange themselves and takes a couple of pictures before the photographer takes back his equipment, probably to go and check that he didn't fuck up his things. Luke doesn't blame him, if anything, it's the smart thing to do. When he reaches his friends he explains himself; "I just wanted a picture of some of my favorite people."</p><p> </p><p>     Almost immediately he's involved in a four person hug.</p><p> </p><p>     "We are very happy for you Luke." Says Alex once they break the embrace, before nodding at something behind his back. "You'll want to have family pictures so we'll leave you for a minute."</p><p> </p><p>     He's about to ask about what he is talking about when he turns around and sees his parents with proud smiles on their faces. He definitely shouldn't be this surprised. He has no right being this surprised because they were there during the planning and he was the one who hand delivered the invitation and yet…</p><p> </p><p>     He is surprised, very much so. They said they would obviously attend and accompany him during this day but the act of showing up is so simple and yet so meaningful. These are the two people who told him to break things off, who for ages the only kind of talk that was shared with him was based on reprimands and deception. The fact that they are there means everything to him.</p><p> </p><p>     Even if he knows his mother's raised eyebrow means that she's silently judging his outfit choice, he doesn't give a shit.</p><p> </p><p>     "I'm so glad you made it." He says, walking towards them to give them each a hug, an act that's captured by the photographer, who promptly directs them and tells them how to pose. He loves that they are there and he means that but he also has to admit to himself that seeing his godly parents being directed by a random human is a welcomed surprise. The fact that they have to conceal their bother is the best wedding present. However, he does not want anything to ruin this day so after a few pictures he tells the photographer that's enough, leaving him alone with his parents in Ray's office.</p><p> </p><p>     "We wouldn't miss this day son, we are very happy to be here." Says his dad once they are alone. He smiles at that even if he knows his mother won't be able to keep quiet now that they are alone.</p><p> </p><p>     "Sweetie, we do mean it but, are you sure this is the suit you want to wear to your wedding?" He loves that, even if she's speaking her truth and clearly doesn't like his choice, there's no malice in her voice, if anything she's choosing to be a regular mother and trying to deal with his son's fashion choices. It doesn't get any more human than that.</p><p> </p><p>     "No mom, I know Julie is going to love this and I'm comfortable in it." His mother nods clearly not going to fight him on his choices, but that doesn't stop her from trying to brush his hair. He and his father chuckle at her behavior but neither tries to stop her mostly because they know she just wants to help.</p><p> </p><p>     Once she finishes she puts her hand on his cheek and looks at him like she's never seen him before. He gets it, these past couple of months they have been seeing each other more not only because they are helping with Julie's ascendance as a goddess but simply as a family doing family things. At first it was incredibly awkward but thanks to everyone's collective efforts things have been better. More than better, in fact…</p><p> </p><p>     "You two should walk me down the aisle." He says, seemingly out of nowhere but it's an idea that's been marinating in his mind long enough for him to feel confident voicing it out loud. When they stay quiet he feels the need to explain himself; "It's a tradition that the groom is accompanied only by his mother but this is not a normal wedding."</p><p> </p><p>     The way they are looking at him right now is like they never had before. That simple yet very emotionally charged look his parents give him is erasing every bad memory they've had while simultaneously making him hopeful about the future. He's a god and he should know there is no such thing as a clean slate, but he thinks his family deserves it, they deserve to stop looking at the past and see something rather than horrible memories. They deserve a present and a future that's just as bright as Julie's smile.</p><p> </p><p>     He knows he said he didn't want to cry before the ceremony but he's struggling with that, especially after he hears his father reply:</p><p> </p><p>     "Of course we'll walk you down the aisle." Replies his father, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder while his mother nods eager at her husband's words.</p><p> </p><p>     "We would love nothing more Luke." Says his mother before kissing his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>     His family is all together.</p><p> </p><p>   He knew he didn't need any presents today because he's been showered with enough blessings and the ceremony hasn't even started.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>   </p><p>     He knows it's going to be impossible to try and remember every detail of the ceremony to reminisce in the years to come so, instead, he settles for the little things that make his heart feel warm; like walking down the aisle with his parents, who have never looked prouder of him, or the smiles on his friends faces once they reunite at the little altar and wait for his bride.</p><p> </p><p>     But he also wants to remember the big things because he's too stubborn and refuses to bow down to memory, he's a god for crying out loud and he wants to remember the way his heart stops and his breath is taken away the second he sees Julie in her wedding dress. He doesn't have the right words to describe her and he's pretty sure whatever adjective he could try and use will not even come close to being accurate.</p><p> </p><p>     He can try, though.</p><p> </p><p>     She looks radiant, as if Helios decided only to illuminate her on her wedding day. Just like when they first said 'I love you' to each other, light surrounds her like a halo, making her almost otherworldly. This is his bride in all of her glory, outshining everyone there without even really trying, just being the beautiful woman he fell for. There's a knot in his throat and he knows this is another one of those 'I lost all speech because of Julie' moments, but honestly, how can he even process any thought when she looks like that and looks at him like… like...</p><p> </p><p>     She looks at him the same way he must be looking at her, as if they're each other's happiness and future.</p><p> </p><p>     And well, they really are.</p><p> </p><p>     His vision is clouded with all the tears so he rushes to clean them just as she reaches the little altar they set up for the occasion. Her smile is as bright as ever as she kisses her parents goodbye just before he hugs them, but not as bright as it is the moment they hold hands; finally seeing each other up close.</p><p> </p><p>     Her dress is simple and perfect for her, capturing her essence perfectly. But her accessories are the best part because she really looks like the goddess of spring with her curls completely adorned by flowers. She looks beautiful beyond words, she needs to know. So, as tía Victoria welcomes everyone he takes a second to kiss her on the cheek and whisper in her ear, "You are so beautiful!" He says, smiling at the redness he notices in her cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>     "You don't look so bad yourself. I love a sleeveless groom." She whispers back, giving him a playful wink.</p><p> </p><p>     He remembers the way their hands stayed intertwined during the whole ceremony, the way they continued to look at each other as they heard tía Victoria be the best officiant ever, the way the tears came back during the vows… He's gotta be honest and has to admit he completely blacked out during Julie's vows because he's not a strong enough god to hear Julie say the best things about him without dying a little. He knows she'd be more than willing to read them again to him if he asked for it (and he'll ask, but not immediately he wants to survive his first year of marriage, at least). He remembers bending down with Julie, to retrieve each other's rings from their respective ring bearers, Carlos and Cerberus, who perform their duties perfectly and earn some rubs before they stand up and exchange rings.</p><p> </p><p>     But what he remembers the most is the look in Julie's eyes when tía Victoria says; "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss each other."</p><p> </p><p>     Contrary to what he thought, he doesn't rush to desperately kiss her; instead, they look at each other, saying 'I love you' without words, simply using gestures. His hand reaches to cup her cheek and she does the same. The fondness and affection emanating from her are indescribable, he feels stronger, excited, happy… He feels alive. She makes him feel alive.</p><p> </p><p>     "Te amo." He says to her before joining their lips in what's their first kiss as husband and wife.</p><p> </p><p>     It gives him chills realizing that this kiss is eerily similar as their first kiss, it's soft and chaste full of love and fondness; clearly trying to transmit all those feelings their eyes also communicated. Their connection, who has endured everything from mythical crap to his very own silliness is there, stronger than ever. It's very similar to their first kiss but it's also very different because he's not the same Luke who's trying to score his very first date to the only girl who has ever made him want to actually date; she's also not the same Julie who didn't know who she was kissing. Both of them have grown in their time together, both of them have put in the work for their relationship and now they welcome the future with open arms, ready to be a team for eternity.</p><p> </p><p>     So yes, this is like their first kiss but this is also the first kiss of the rest of their lives.</p><p> </p><p>     They rest their foreheads for a second, giving Julie enough time to say "Yo también te amo.*" before they face their guests, smiling as big as it's possible to them. His eyes don't stay on them for a long time, he simply turns to look at her, unable to care to look at anything else right now. She's the only one he wants to look at and that's what he's going to do (If later, once they have received the pictures from the photographer Julie complains that he barely looks at the camera, he'll reply with a 'Sorry not sorry' because he doesn't regret wanting to keep his attention on her).</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>     The ceremony was amazing but the party is great as well, especially because all the gods they had to invite out of courtesy are gone, which leaves only the people they care about; and by they, he means she because he only really invited five people to his own wedding party which would be sad but what really is sadder is that Flynn used a Friends reference when they were arranging the seats and he wasn't able to understand it. He can't believe Flynn got caught up so fast in pop culture she's already making him look like a fool.</p><p> </p><p>     Anyways, back to the party.</p><p> </p><p>     Their first dance is to 'Perfect harmony' a duet they were toying around before realizing they didn't want anybody else's music to dance to for their first dance, especially when they could compose a killer melody to go with their lyrics. As they dance, the happiness of the situation mixes with the excitement of hearing their own song for the first time (because Flynn, Reggie and Alex were the ones to complete the editing of the song, as a surprise gift for them).</p><p> </p><p>     They dance and mingle and eat forever but overall they just enjoy each other's company, barely separating from each other during the night. He knows Alex is somewhere calling them 'co-dependent' but he doesn't care. Besides, it's not like Julie wants to let go of their intertwined hands, so there's no way he's going to let go.</p><p> </p><p>     They only do that when Julie goes to change her outfit for a more comfortable one once it's time for them to hit the stage because obviously they were going to perform at their wedding (just because they couldn't find a band as legendary as theirs to entertain their guests, obviously). He knows there have been other showcases but he's convinced that this is the best they've played since they became 'Julie and the phantoms' (a name that was discussed between Julie and Reggie for days) and for the first time, when he voices that out loud, he's not met with comments about how exaggerated he is; rather, Julie and the guys agree with him.</p><p> </p><p>     "It's the best for the best!" Announces Reggie, happily before wrapping everyone in a group hug that's amazing despite the sweat.</p><p> </p><p>     The best for the best.</p><p> </p><p>     That remains in his head after they go to the bar and order a drink; because if Julie is the best and now he's married to her… That makes him the best as well, no?</p><p> </p><p>     He hopes they exist long enough to prove that.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>     Once most of the guests have left and it's only their families, he decides he's had enough of everybody and after quick goodbyes he and Julie are able to escape to the garage's roof for a little alone time under the stars.</p><p> </p><p>     There's a few more hours of humanity left in her and he knows that technically she's not going to change but it still makes him wonder about the existence ahead of both of them and what the future will bring them. He knows there's going to be fun and adventure but he hopes the love will multiply and they simply get to enjoy and learn from each other. That's all he ever wanted.</p><p> </p><p>     "Saw something you like?" She asks, cheeky as she cozies up and rests her head in his chest while his hands play with her hair, still adorned with flowers, still incredibly beautiful despite the dancing, jumping, singing and sweating.</p><p> </p><p>     "You know what? I'm seeing what I love the most: my wife." He says, kissing her forehead just as she giggles, probably in excitement. Because he wants to keep the giggles coming he tickles her, just a little. He still needs to figure out how to bottle that sound. "Did you enjoy the ceremony?"</p><p> </p><p>     "Yes, I did. I actually loved it." She answers honestly, opening up the buttons of his suit so that she can actually touch his skin. He shivers under her touch, still warm and cozy. "I know what I said about weddings but I'm glad we had this. I enjoyed sharing our love and celebrating our relationship with the people we love… Okay, and some people we had to invite." She adds once he gives her a look clearly thinking about the gods they were forced to invite out of respect and wanting to keep everyone happy about his relationship with a demigod. "But I really loved it. I have always craved a partnership and I found that with you, but after realizing you and I are not in a simple relationship a wedding makes sense. It makes sense to celebrate that we are able to love each other with too many commas and not so many asterisks."</p><p> </p><p>     He holds her close, utterly moved by her words. He adores that they communicate through gestures and touch but there's something about hearing her that just does it for him; probably because there's still some remnants of self-doubts and monsters he's been fighting for so long.</p><p> </p><p>     "I'm glad you enjoyed it because I absolutely loved it. Maybe we can make this an annual thing." He jokes, because even for him that would be too much. He just wants to be able to love her forever, he's happy he's getting that. She laughs, already too familiar with his brand of humor so she doesn't let him win by feeding him an answer, something he's fine with. "Just think about it, every year we just flaunt our relationship in front of everyone; you wear this beautiful dress, I'll pick another sleeveless suit to make you drool, Ray will feed us all some delicious baked goods and we'll rock out all night. I don't know about you but for me it sounds like a terrific plan."</p><p> </p><p>     "Did you really like my dress?" Her voice is almost shy but she looks at him expectantly, which makes him want to laugh a little because of how oblivious both of them can be sometimes.</p><p> </p><p>     "I love your dress so I should let you know I'll probably write a song or a poem about how amazing and beautiful you looked while wearing it. But right now prepare yourself for something idiotic because I'm still high on our wedding and I'm not functioning as I normally would." He warns her and she grins at him, probably happy about the fact that he's still unable to form coherent thoughts when he's around her. "I thought you looked otherworldly, like you were officially the goddess of spring. You still look amazing, because this jumpsuit makes you look incredible and that almost compensates the fact that is going to be annoying to remove once we are home." She laughs at him and his inability to remove jumpsuits quickly when they are horny. Once again, he loves that he's a fool and is able to make her laugh. "But I got sidetracked. Your dress would've taken my breath away if I had any and I can't wait to see the recording to look at you again. My heart will probably go crazy and start beating insanely fast."</p><p> </p><p>     She lifts herself a little bit so that they can be face to face and she can kiss every inch of his. There's so much affection and care he's unable to stop her, instead he just lets her be and tries very hard not to melt into a puddle. He has never been more in love with her but he has every day for the rest of their existence to prove that statement wrong because it is so easy to love her it's still quite shocking to realize there were years of Julie's life without someone by her side loving her in a romantic way or worshipping her for the amazing woman she is.</p><p> </p><p>     Sometimes he likes to think that that's because, in a way, destiny was waiting for them to meet.</p><p>     Sometimes he sends a silent thank you to the universe, in case that's true.</p><p> </p><p>     She cups both his cheeks briefly before kissing him, in a way they haven't been able to because they feel the need of toning it down when they are around people (and said people includes godly and human parents). It's deep and hard but not in a seductive way but rather trying to once again communicate with their lips that move perfectly together, completely in sync. This is a declaration of love, the way their tongues move together so well…</p><p> </p><p>     He can't wait until tomorrow, when they can kiss forever because she doesn't have the need to breathe anymore.</p><p> </p><p>     After the kiss she accommodates herself once again in his shirtless chest, just above his heart. The silence is only interrupted by the crickets and the city noises that feel far away from them because they are in their bubble, as it usually happens when they stay alone for a while.</p><p> </p><p>     "Sometimes, when we are like this I swear I can feel and hear your heart beating." She comments, without looking at him, cheek still against his sternum while his own head rests on top of hers. She can't see it, but he's smiling at her words. "And when you say stuff like that I think I might actually believe you have one."</p><p> </p><p>     He kisses the top of her head and gently raises her chin to be able to look at her in the eyes as he speaks; "I know I have a heart because of you, Julie and I also know that heart is surrounded by all the flowers you planted around it." He says to her, deadly serious. He knows that as a god he doesn't need a heart, blood or lungs. He has survived because he's a mythical being not because he relies on the same systems as humans to stay alive but now he knows he has a heart, even if it doesn't make sense for him to actually have one.</p><p> </p><p>     "You know that's not anatomically correct, right?" She answers and he knows she's trying to be a smart ass just to mess with him but her voice betrays her, because it's dripping with affection for him, which he corroborates when she dips and kisses the skin on top of where his heart should be located.</p><p> </p><p>     "Julie you just married the god of death and tomorrow you'll be officially crowned as my Queen. I don't give a shit about anything that's correct, we defy that." He answers softy, smiling down at her while taking her hand and kissing the ring on her finger. "I know I have a heart Julie and I know I have it because of you. I don't care about anything else, not even about the 'mythological crap' as you put it. All I know is that I love you, I have a heart because of you and you make me feel happy and alive. That's what matters."</p><p> </p><p>     "I love you too Luke, I loved you even when I thought you didn't have a heart." She answers in the same gentle and soft tone he used before, as if she's sharing a secret with him. She probably is.</p><p> </p><p>     She's life and he's death and when people tell their story they always get it wrong. He fell in love and offered his everything to her, she followed willingly because she saw him and realized he was home all along.</p><p>
  <strong>FIN</strong>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>* Yo también te amo = I love you too</p><p>I just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who read, left kudos and commented it really means the world to me that you like this crazy idea I had.</p><p>Like I mentioned before, I wrote Julie’s POV to this story; I’ll start posting next week so if you’re interested stay tuned.With that being said, if you have a request and want to see more of this story, a missing scene or an idea, feel free to tell me. In my <a href="https://ammarantas.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> you can drop it anonimously if you feel more comfortable that way.</p><p>The fic's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tYaQBL0VBhnWE5uqTtnIj?si=rzzBmg11SvK-LijkLDv8sg&amp;nd=1"> playlist</a> if you want to listen!</p><p>As I was writing the story I created a Pinterest board to inspire myself, if you want you can check it out, it’s here <a href="https://pin.it/2zHFuDM"> here</a>!</p>
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